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Kane County ARPA committee approves multiple 2024 reprogramming resolutions, stresses clearer department communication
Summary
At a Kane County American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) committee meeting, members approved several resolutions to reprogram previously obligated ARPA funds into active projects, and discussed deadlines, compliance and the need for improved communication with county departments that received awards.
Kane County’s American Rescue Plan Act committee voted to reprogram several previously obligated ARPA awards on motions taken during a meeting chaired by Verne Tepe.
The reprogramming moves were intended to place unspent dollars into projects with open contracts so the county remains compliant with U.S. Department of the Treasury rules and the ARPA spending deadline of Dec. 31, 2026. “We initially received $103,413,041 in 2021,” Chair Verne Tepe said, and the committee must now ensure all funds are spent by 12/31/2026 and that records are ready for federal audit.
Committee members and staff said the reprogramming is primarily an audit- and compliance-driven step to keep obligated funds tied to contracts. “All we’re doing is maintaining compliance with the money,” committee member Jared Sanchez said. Suzanne Fonstock, ARPA program staff, described several items on the agenda as “housekeeping” adjustments to move money into projects with active contracts.
Why this matters: Federal Treasury guidance requires a documented contractual obligation for many ARPA allocations. If money remains assigned to a project without a contract that backs the obligation, the county faces risk in an audit. The committee said moving dollars to active projects preserves flexibility and allows funds to be moved back if a contract extension or new contract for the original project is later executed.
Key details discussed
- Deadlines and scope: Tepe reviewed the program timeline and federal rules; committee members emphasized a practical internal deadline well before Dec. 31, 2026 so staff and departments are not forced into last-minute reallocations. Staff recommended treating mid-2026 as a practical cutoff window to avoid “nail-biting” audits close to the final date.
- Compliance and records: Tepe and staff said extensive documentation — contracts, intergovernmental agreements, memoranda of understanding and resolutions — are being maintained and that Ernst & Young, county finance and the state’s attorney’s office reviewed awards and the internal process.
- Communication concerns from departments: The county circuit clerk raised concerns that she learned of some proposed reprogramming only after the agenda posted and that, for some microfilm projects, invoices and credits remain outstanding. “I did find out about this, Thursday, I think of last week,” the circuit clerk said, and then gave a project-level accounting: “We do still have used 481,843.33 to date out of the 744,000 initially.” Committee members said they expect improved notification so departments know whether to seek extensions or reprogramming rather than discover reallocations through the agenda.
- Staff capacity and outside contractors: Tepe and other members noted ARPA staff consists of a manager and three staff (currently down one), and that the county has used Ernst & Young for compliance and reporting. Committee members asked for a follow-up on cumulative E&Y costs and whether more in-house staffing would reduce outside contractor reliance.
Votes at a glance (actions approved)
- Reprogram $304,046 from the Kane County Circuit Court microfilm archiving ARPA project to Kane County Building Management Department kitchen and laundry improvements at the Kane County Justice Center. Motion: Sanchez; Second: Strathman. Outcome: approved (roll call recorded).
- Reprogram $120,100.34 from the Kane County Circuit Court microfilm archiving ARPA project to Kane County ARPA Program Administrative Cost Projection project. Motion: Strathman; Second: Sanchez. Outcome: approved (roll call recorded).
- Reprogram $17,505.66 from the Kane County Circuit Court microfilm archiving ARPA project to Kane County sixteenth judicial circuit court judicial technology modernization ARPA project. Motion: Leonard; Second: Strathman. Outcome: approved (roll call recorded).
- Reprogram $20,818.80 from the Kane County Environmental and Water Resources Ogden Gardens ARPA project to the department’s Drainage Cost Share Consultant and Capital ARPA project. Motion: Sanchez; Second: Grathman. Outcome: approved (roll call recorded).
- Reprogram $5,600 from the Kane County Environmental and Water Resources stream gauging network ARPA project to the department’s Drainage Cost Share Consultant and Capital ARPA project. Motion: Leonard; Second: (recorded). Outcome: approved (roll call recorded).
- Reprogram $58 from the Kane County Environmental and Water Resources Water Quality Sampling ARPA project to Drainage Cost Share Consultant and Capital ARPA project. Motion: Strathman; Second: Sanchez (recorded). Outcome: approved (roll call recorded).
- Reprogram $27 from the Kane County Environmental and Water Resources Water Conservation Education ARPA project to Drainage Cost Share Consultant and Capital ARPA project. Motion: Sanchez; Second: Krapman. Outcome: approved (roll call recorded).
- Reprogram $9,800 from Kane County sixteenth judicial court lost revenue recoupment ARPA projects to Kane County Building Management Department exterior envelope/piping improvements at the jail. Motion: Sanchez; Second: Leonard. Outcome: approved (roll call recorded).
- Approve amendment to behavioral health system improvement grant agreements with Kids Above All (administrative line-item changes). Motion: Sanchez; Second: Strathman. Outcome: approved (roll call recorded).
What committee members said
Several members pushed for better department notification before resolutions are prepared for the agenda. “I just want to make sure before we pass resolutions, everybody’s on board with it,” Mr. Leonard said during discussion; he asked for written assurance that funds taken from the circuit clerk would be reallocated back if the clerk needed them before the 12/31/2026 deadline. Tepe and Sanchez gave assurances the committee would return funds to an original project if a contract extension or justification were later provided.
Some members framed priority-setting as a staff-level task, citing the program’s complex federal rules. “That core group of people working as a team to follow a book that’s about 500 pages long… come back and say, okay, this is what needs to be done when,” Sanchez said, urging trust in ARPA staff, county finance, Ernst & Young and the state’s attorney for technical judgment.
Ending
Committee members said they will tighten communications with departments going forward, ask staff to prepare a prioritized “hit list” of likely reprogramming targets, and provide follow-up detail on Ernst & Young spending. The committee also signaled it expects to meet less frequently in 2025 as project tracking moves into a maintenance phase, but said it will remain ready to reallocate funds as needed to maintain Treasury compliance through the end of 2026.
