Arlington approves budget for pandemic relief funds

The Arlington City Council approved a budget for how it plans to use more than $5.7 million coming to the city because of the federal pandemic relief bill of March 2021.

This is the second major wave of funds the city will receive to assist with the COVID-19 pandemic. City staff and council members discussed the proposed uses of that money during their Sept. 13 workshop session and Sept. 20 city council meeting.

Council members approved the plan unanimously during the Sept. 20 meeting.

A total of $1.07 million has been budgeted for public health uses while $2.94 million was budgeted for economic recovery.

The city has up to three years to spend the money, so the remaining $1.73 million is being held back for future use.

The largest expenditure of the funds is $1.37 million to design and build a park that is specifically meant to encourage use of food trucks.

“If this is approved, we won’t see a food truck park pop up tomorrow or anything, it’s going to take some time to put that project together,” said Paul Ellis, Arlington city administrator.

Some of the funds are going to support families that are homeless or otherwise struggling.

A total of $360,000 has been budgeted for the Arlington Community Resource Center, which has been receiving funding to help community members with rent, mortgage and utility assistance throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition, $20,000 has been budgeted to help ensure the community has a cold weather shelter this year.

“The senior center, now called the Stilly Valley Center, is going to host the cold weather shelter over this winter,” said Arlington Mayor Barbara Tolbert. “We haven’t had a cold weather shelter, other than using the hotel vouchers, for the past two years."

That money will help the Stilly Valley Center upgrade their facilities to host the program.

“That will ensure we can have multiple years of relying on this for a cold weather shelter,” said Tolbert.

Ellis said the cold weather shelter program has also received some money from the county’s pandemic funds.

There was $150,000 budgeted for a communications position that could be part of the Stilly Valley Chamber of Commerce.

“Using resources from the chamber we’ll have a communications position that works directly with the local businesses,” said Ellis.

The goal of that position would be to help businesses remain aware of relief options and helping them through those processes if necessary.

“The chamber may or may not be the right place for that, but we think the position is valuable and worth funding wherever it fits best,” said Ellis.

The city’s utility facilities will be receiving security upgrades with $237,310 of the budgeted funds, which will include security lighting and motion lighting.

“That is for our equipment’s safety but also for protecting our utilities,” said Ellis.

More outdoor spaces for eating could be created with $150,000 of the funds, which are being used for “semi-portable” equipment to create small eating areas outside of businesses.

Plans for a winter festival are also funded with $200,000 of the money from the budget.

Snohomish County governments worked together in planning for their budgets for the funds.

“The cities and counties are working collaboratively on these so we’re not duplicating efforts,” said Ellis.

Some programs, such as childcare for essential workers, are being completely covered with the county’s funding.

“All of the cities put together their priorities collaboratively,” said Tolbert.

The federal government has prescribed the allowable uses for the pandemic relief funds, which are “narrow” said Ellis.

Any uses in law enforcement were only permissible if the city could show COVID was a direct cause of an increase in crime, which Arlington was not able to, he said.

Arlington has until 2024 to spend the remaining $1.73 million in funding.

“We have three years to spend this money and we’re not sure when COVID will end,” said Tolbert. “We thought it prudent to wait and see what develops over the rest of this year."