Thurston deliberates new spending guidelines for American Rescue Plan

The Thurston Board of County Commissioners and county staff deliberated on the new guidelines released by the US Department of Treasury in spending the American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funds.

Under the new Interim Final Rule on ARPA, there are three new eligible use categories: emergency relief from natural disasters, transportation infrastructure and community development projects under HUD’s Community Development Block Grant program.

“We recently got a notice from the Office of the Inspector General at the federal government that they are indeed doing reviews,” said Robin Cambell, Thurston County’s assistant county manager and budget director.

“A notice that it is highly probable that if they find unallowable costs, they will be requiring jurisdictions to pay the money back,” she added.

ARPA budget review

Thurston’s Budget and Fiscal Manager Nicole Martinez said one of the projects that is being funded by ARPA is the Thurston Business Relaunch.

Martinez reported that as of June 2023, 191 small businesses that showed proof of economic hardship caused by the pandemic received grants totaling $1,832,602.

The same project is also extended to BIPOC-owned small businesses that showed proof of economic hardship caused by the pandemic. Martinez said 131 businesses received funding amounting to a total of $1,343,485.

Grants up to $20,000 were awarded to Thurston County non-profit organizations that showed proof of economic hardship caused by the pandemic; Thurston Economic Development Council and the Community Foundation of South Puget Sound administered this project.

As of June 2023, 49 non-profits received grant funds.

Martinez added that 50 agricultural businesses also received grant funding and 39,683 pounds of food were distributed.

ARPA also funded the Thurston Works Jobs Programs project, where 24 employees received jobs and 18 non-profit businesses received employees.

Another project under ARPA is the purchase and distribution of infant formula and diapers to families in Thurston County. Martinez reported that as of June 2023, 104,702 diapers and 64,014 ounces of infant formula were distributed to 6,575 families.

Other projects include Substance Abuse Monitoring, where home monitoring was done in lieu of pre-sentencing incarceration, and Small Business Startup, where they helped businesses transition from concept to market.