Town of Occoquan SLFRF Spending Plan
Through the passage of ARPA, the Town of Occoquan has been allocated $949,560.76 in two equal allotments. The first allotment was received in June 2021 and the second allotment received in July 2022. Funds must be used by December 31, 2024 and fully expended by December 31, 2026. The Town must also meet annual reporting requirements throughout the duration of the program through December 31, 2026.
Plan Development Process
Once the Final Rule was issued and greater flexibility granted, the Town Council and staff worked to develop a Spending Plan, with input from the community. Staff has worked to develop a potential projects list, focused generally on outstanding infrastructure and capital needs that generally have significant capital costs and are one-time costs. The plan does not include recurring costs or ongoing operating costs since this is a one-time infusion of funds.
Next Steps
Town staff is working to refine the projects listed within each Funding Group and obtain project cost estimates. As project scopes and estimates are ready, staff will bring projects to Town Council for consideration and final approval. Stay up-to-date by following Town Council agendas; project construction updates will be included on the Construction and Development Updates page.
Timeline
January 6, 2022 – U.S. Treasury Issues Final Rule
February 15, 2022 – Staff presents draft Potential Projects List to Town Council
March 1, 2022 – Town Council hosts Community Town Hall to obtain feedback on draft Potential Projects List – View the Presentation
April 5, 2022 – Staff presents revised Potential Projects List based on community and Town Council feedback – View the Presentation
June 21, 2022 – View the Draft Spending Plan Presented June 21, 2022
July 19, 2022 – Final Public Input Session; Town Council Approved Spending Plan
For questions, contact the Town Manager.
About the American Rescue Plan Act
On March 11, 2021 President Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), which established the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF). The SLFRF provided $350 billion to state, local, and tribal governments across the U.S. to support response and recovery from the COVID-19 public health emergency.
The SLFRF funding was divided among five categories, with funding allocated based on population: States and D.C., Counties, Cities, Territories, and NEUs. The Town is categorized as a Non-Entitlement Unit of local government (NEU), which are populations with less than 50,000. The NEU category was allocated $19.5 billion of the $350 billion allocated within the SLFRF program. The Town is slated to receive a total of $949,560.76.
SLFRF Uses
The U.S. Treasury issued an Interim Final Rule on May 17, 2021, which provided recipients with guidelines on how the SLFRF funds could be used. Due to those regulations, the Town was limited at the time in what areas those funds could be used. The Treasury’s issuance of the Final Rule on January 6, 2022, provided needed clarity and greater flexibility in how recipients could use the funds.
The SLFRF program provides substantial flexibility for each jurisdiction to meet local needs within four separate eligible use categories:
- Replace lost public sector revenue
- Respond to far-reaching public health and negative economic impacts of the pandemic
- Provide premium pay for essential workers
- Invest in water, sewer and broadband infrastructure