A memorandum circulated to the Common Council prompted a prolonged discussion about how American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars and a Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) hiring grant were used to support public-safety programs.

The memo recounted that the administration intended to continue the Pathways to Justice program for an additional year and that the program director had been recommended for a permanent position. Council members said the Pathways to Justice coordinator, identified in the memo as Stephanie Hyland (also referred to at times as Stephanie Highland), resigned; council members and staff disagreed about the sequence of events and whether a replacement plan was in place.

Budget director Elmer Koltek told the council that $300,000 remains in the Munis line for Pathways to Justice and that the administration was working with the mayor to reallocate the funds while keeping the money’s primary purpose tied to recruitment for public safety. Council members sought clarity about timing: ARPA funds nationwide must be fully expended by Dec. 31, 2026, a deadline Koltek cited.

Council members also discussed a COPS hiring grant awarded to the city. Staff said the COPS award is intended to support salaries for officers previously funded with ARPA dollars; the award period in the application runs 36 months and the grant start date is listed as Jan. 1, 2025. A police official told the council that, as is typical for COPS grants, the award covers a portion of salary costs (the department mentioned 75% coverage in discussion of a single position). Council members asked whether the department had used COPS funds yet and how the city would coordinate ARPA and COPS funding to avoid gaps when ARPA sunsets.

Speakers urged that no ARPA dollars be returned unused and pressed administration and police officials for a clear plan to keep programs operational while complying with federal grant rules. Several council members said they wanted a detailed implementation plan for the Pathways to Justice funds and for recruitment uses before reallocations were executed.

Ending: Staff said they would work on a plan to allocate the $300,000 and to report back to the council, and budget staff reiterated the federal ARPA spending deadline.