Jennifer Pearl
Special to the H-T
Recently, we have been diving into what the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 can mean for our community. ARPA is a $1.9 trillion federal coronavirus relief funding package that will deliver funding at the federal, state and local levels. Through ARPA allocations to local government, Bloomington will receive about $22.27 million, Ellettsville will receive about $1.41 million and Monroe County will receive about $28.79 million.
Based on federal guidelines, funds can be used to: (1) Respond to the public health emergency or its negative economic impacts; (2) Provide premium pay to eligible essential workers; (3) Replace lost government revenue; and (4) Make necessary investments in water, sewer or broadband infrastructure.