How Should Piedmont Spend $2,663,729 in COVID Relief Funds?
SCHOOLS, RECREATION, BUILDING RENOVATIONS, CITY MASTER PLAN, PUBLIC SAFETY AND MORE –
On Thursday, September 23. 2021 at 4:00 p.m.. the Piedmont Budget Advisory and Financial Planning Committee will meet via Zoom to consider a recommendation to the Piedmont City Council on how to spend $2,663,729, Piedmont’s COVID funds.
To participate and view the meeting see the Agenda link below.
Of the $2,663,729 allocated to the City, $2,382,545 is tied to lost revenue and can be used in category 3 which, as noted in the full staff report linked below, may be used for any governmental services, including infrastructure projects. The remaining $281,183 must be used in accordance with the provisions of the other four categories.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
By motion, recommend that the City Council allocate the City’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds as proposed by staff:
A. Devote lost revenue funds to address urgent facilities projects, prioritized as follows:
1. Dispatch Center Relocation\Remodel
2. Initiation of Master Planning Process for the Future of Police, Fire and City Hall
3. City Hall Basement: Digitization of Residential Property Files and Remodel Office Space
3. Fire Department Living Quarters Renovation 3. Recreation Department Building Renovation
B. Devote the remaining more restricted funds as follows:
1. Cover the City’s direct COVID related expenses incurred after March 3, 2021
2. Provide premium pay to Recreation Department personnel who were exposed on a daily basis to critical health risks while interacting with the public due to the nature of their jobs
3. Provide COVID-19 specific support to the Piedmont Unified School District by providing funding toward a temporary full-time school nurse to assist PUSD in its COVID-19 response. Such resource would be available to support the City’s Recreation Department COVID response needs as well.
AGENDA >2021-09-23 Budget Advisory and Financial Planning Committee Agenda
READ FULL STAFF REPORT >2021-09-23 ARPA Funding Direction – BAFPC
Those that have been following the crime reports on Nextdoor, or in the Piedmont Post (and those that have been victims of our increased crime) Would like to see these COVID funds used in ways that would benefit all the citizens of Piedmont–specifically to fund ways to deter and reduce crime.
We are NOT keen on any of the five infrastructure proposals:
1. Dispatch Center Relocation\Remodel
2. Initiation of Master Planning Process for the Future of Police, Fire and City Hall
3. City Hall Basement: Digitization of Residential Property Files and Remodel Office Space
4. Fire Department Living Quarters Renovation
5. Recreation Department Building Renovation
These projects, if pursued, should be completed in the ordinary course of Piedmont’s CIP projects instead of these COVID related funds.
Since the PUSD school board has voted to MANDATE vaccinations for all students age 5 and above, funding a full-time nurse for then schools and recreation department doesn’t seem to be an appropriate or vital use for these funds.
Funding “premium pay” to the recreation department personnel for COVID era services raises these questions:
1) How long will the premium pay be provided?
2) Shouldn’t our “first responders” qualify for premium pay as well?
3) Shouldn’t our public works personnel be included in premium pay?
4) How will the increased premium pay affect benefits (payroll taxes, retirement benefits, etc.
Careful and comprehensive thought should be made before choosing to award “premium pay” with these COVID funds.
These COVID funds should be used in a way that benefits the most tax payers. And it does make clear sense to
“Cover the City’s direct COVID related expenses incurred after March 3, 2021”
Any remaining funds after that use, should be used to reduce crime…crime that has increased significantly since COVID.
Respectfully submitted,
Dai Meagher
Thanks Dai for all that background. Can I find it in the public record?
Do any of these proposals address Improving HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) in city facilities? 1-3 seem not to and it’s not clear what is meant by “renovation” in 4 and 5.
As a response to COVID, many public health experts are recommending increased air exchange rates for buildings, This would seem to have the greatest benefit for most residents going forward. Most of the interventions associated with COVID addressed the transmissibility of the disease so upgrading all city and school spaces for better air exchange is what I vote for.