U.S. pandemic-relief bill a windfall to Whatcom agencies. Here’s how they plan to spend it
Whatcom County governments, tribes, schools and other public agencies stand to gain $120 million to $150 million from the latest federal pandemic-relief measure, called the American Rescue Plan Act.
That’s according to preliminary estimates based on two previous pandemic-relief measures, County Executive Satpal Sidhu told the County Council during a committee meeting on Tuesday, June 1.
President Biden signed the $1.9 trillion economic-stimulus measure into law in March, and the U.S. Treasury Department website shows allocations of nearly $45 million to Whatcom County and nearly $21 million to the city of Bellingham.
In all, Whatcom County and its cities will receive about $75 million — more than four times the amount from last year’s CARES Act — according to the Treasury website.
Funding is still being calculated for agencies such as tribal governments, ports, K-12 schools, universities, nonprofits and transit agencies such as the Whatcom Transportation Authority, which provides bus service countywide.
The American Rescue Plan Act is the third such economic-aid package that Congress has passed since March 2020, when the new coronavirus pandemic forced schools and many businesses to close, the nation adopted strict social-distancing guidelines, and many of those who kept their jobs adjusted to online work and learning.
Cities and government agencies are still waiting for details on how Rescue Plan money can be used, Sidhu told the council.
“Mostly our work has been on getting the proper guidance” on expenditures, Sidhu said.
In the meantime, “let’s come up with ideas that can actually impact our community for the long term, for the next 10, 20, 30 years,” he said.
Millions more available
In general, federal Rescue Plan funds can be used for public health expenditures, public revenues lost because of the new coronavirus pandemic, premium pay for essential workers, and investments in water, sewer and broadband internet projects, Sidhu told the County Council.
In anticipation of the federal funds, County Council members have been exploring what they are calling “a permanent solution to child care.”
And over the past year, Sidhu has been asking county department managers to have proposals for “shovel-ready projects” set to go once funding is available — such as funds that could be available if Congress passes President Biden’s infrastructure measure.
“Access to these funds will be contingent on our ability to identify and align projects with funding eligibility requirements and submit well-written and timely applications,” he said.
Port, WTA, schools
Monetary awards to several agencies were uncertain, but $20 billion is available to tribal governments, $8 billion to airports and $195 billion to the states.
▪ Port of Bellingham spokesman Michael Hogan told The Bellingham Herald that Port officials estimate receiving between $4 million and $5 million, based on the two previous pandemic-relief measures.
▪ Bellingham Public Schools are receiving $15.5 million from the Relief Plan, school district spokeswoman Dana Smith told The Herald.
Some $8.5 million of earlier pandemic-relief funding was used for a variety of early needs, such as technology and internet access for families; training, software, virtual tools, curriculum and equipment to support remote and hybrid learning; protective equipment for students and staff as schools began to reopen in early 2021; and furniture and equipment, such as better air filters and fans to boost air flow, Smith said in an email.
“Future funds will assist us in continuing to lower class sizes through hiring teachers and support staff, hiring a health services director, providing additional mental health services, supporting our Family Engagement Department and staffing a continued online learning school/option,” she said.
▪ Western Washington University will receive $32 million, with half going to students and half for institutional expenses, WWU spokesman Paul Cocke told The Herald.
“Although the awarding strategy has yet to be finalized, we anticipate that awards will be made to students based on calculated financial need from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and the Washington State Financial Aid Application; other indicators of financial need including federal and state need-based aid eligibility,” Cocke said in an email.
▪ Whatcom Transportation Authority is receiving more than $21 million from the Relief Plan, for a total of nearly $40 million from the three pandemic-relief measures, said WTA spokeswoman Maureen McCarthy.
“These one-time federal relief funds must be spent on activities which sustain operations, such as payroll. However, our ability to pay employees using relief funds frees up other dollars originally budgeted for that purpose,” McCarthy told The Herald in an email.
McCarthy said the funds will allow the transit agency to complete a 20-year assessment of future needs far faster than expected.
Further, only $350 billion of the entire Relief Plan legislation is directly allocated to cities, Sidhu said.
“There’s a large, large amount of money which is not directly allocated to cities and counties. It’s coming to states and coming to the federal government in different buckets of money which organizations — cities, counties, other people — can apply for that,” Sidhu said. “Let’s find out what other pieces we can claim or our small cities can claim.”
Collaborating on projects
SIdhu said he was discussing possible uses for funds with representatives of Lummi Nation and the Nooksack Tribe and had similarly met with the mayors of Bellingham and the county’s small cities.
According to the Treasury website, Blaine will get $1.2 million, Everson $620,000, Ferndale $3.2 million, Lynden $3.3 million, Nooksack $360,000 and Sumas will get $330,000.
“We are researching more about these opportunities and working with our smaller cities and other local organizations who are eligible to apply for such grant funds,” Sidhu told he council. “This allows time for thoughtful and deliberate decisions.”
But some immediate action is in the works, too.
Whatcom County received half its $45 million award last week and officials discussed using part of those funds to hire people for he approximately 20 positions that were frozen last year as the county prepared for a loss of revenue because of the pandemic.
