Pateros approves American Rescue Plan Act grant

PATEROS – The city council held a special meeting via Zoom on June 14 to discuss and approve a resolution regarding pandemic grant funds recently allocated by the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
The city received a letter from the State of Washington Office of Financial Management (OFM)earlier in the month advising it that Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds in the amount of $199,312 were available to Pateros through the state office. The funds will be applied toward resources to meet pandemic response needs and help rebuild the city economy.
The ARPA grant funds were set up to go to larger cities directly from the U.S. Treasury. Smaller cities and towns like Pateros labeled as non-entitlement units (NEUs) also receive the funds but channeled through the state OFM. The amount of funds each city or town received was based on the most recent population data from the Bureau of the Census, just one example of the important role census played by data gathered during the 2020 Census.
The NEU grants alone went to 247 cities and towns across the state. The total NEU amount disbursed in ARPA grants by the U.S. Treasury to those 247 is $221,411,936. The Pateros grant was based on a population of 714. Other Quad City recipients include:
Bridgeport - $729,414 (population 2,613)
Brewster - $657,952 (population 2,357)
Mansfield - $95,748 (population 343).
Bridgeport mayor Janet Conklin confirmed that its ARPA grant has been approved and the city has already compiled a list of projects for the funds in compliance with grant guidelines.
Brewster clerk/treasurer said the city council approved its grant allocation at the regular monthly held virtually last Thursday, June 17.