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Nampa Council approves $10,000 from ARPA interest to help Salvation Army family shelter
Summary
After extended discussion, the Nampa City Council voted 3-2 to allocate $10,000 from ARPA interest to the Salvation Army to help operate a temporary family shelter; council and staff stressed the payment is a one-time allocation and recommended an MOU and reporting requirements.
The Nampa City Council voted to allocate $10,000 drawn from interest earned on ARPA funds to assist the Salvation Army’s Community Family Center, after deliberation over funding sources and precedent.
Why it matters: Council members debated whether to use one-time ARPA interest revenue or ongoing general-reserve dollars to support the shelter. The city and the Salvation Army said the center is addressing immediate needs while seeking longer-term funding.
Council discussion and decision Council members discussed three questions: whether to provide funding, how much, and from which source. City finance staff said general government reserves could cover the request but cautioned that ARPA interest is a one-time source. “My concern on the interest income from ARPA is it’s a 1 time source of funds,” a staff member said, noting the city could fund the request from reserves but should choose carefully.
Several council members said they considered the request a one-off. Councilman Bills recommended using ARPA interest if the council chose to fund the Salvation Army; Councilman Sebastian and others said they viewed any allocation as a single-year decision. After a motion, the council approved $10,000 from ARPA interest funds. The motion passed on a roll-call vote with Rodriguez, Reynolds and Mills voting yes and Haverfield and Griffin voting no (3-2).
City staff recommended the use of a memorandum of understanding if funding is approved and suggested reporting requirements to track how the money is used. As staff summarized: “Staff recommends the city execute an MOU with the Salvation Army… and any reporting requirements such as reporting the number of people assisted by the program.”
Salvation Army and community context Representatives from the Salvation Army and local housing partners told the council the new family shelter had opened and that the organization needs short-term operating money while it seeks additional support. “The Salvation Army Kids First Family Shelter opened today, and we welcomed the first of the families coming in,” a Salvation Army representative said during public comment. She said the shelter was scheduled to operate through the end of April and the organization hoped to secure funds to continue through the end of May to keep children in place through the school year.
What the council recorded Staff confirmed the Salvation Army originally requested $35,000. Council members and staff emphasized the city’s intent not to create a permanent substitution for CDBG or other ongoing operating funds: the funding approved tonight was explicitly a one-time allocation from ARPA interest.
Next steps If the council or staff execute funding, city staff recommended an MOU that would include reporting on numbers served and how funds were expended. Councilmembers also said the city will revisit CDBG allocations and continued nonprofit eligibility in future budget cycles.
Ending Council members who opposed the measure said the $10,000 amount was insufficient to meet the full need; proponents said it was an immediate, targeted one-time supplement while the Salvation Army pursues broader funding.
