Solano County annual report says ARPA funds fully obligated; highlights parks, housing, library and energy projects

Solano County officials on Tuesday told the Board of Supervisors that the county's condensed annual report highlights spending of federal pandemic relief funds and a range of projects aimed at parks, public health and infrastructure.

County Administrator Bill Amlin and colleagues said the county has completed a multi-year process to obligate its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars and is using that funding for a mix of immediate and longer-term projects.

The report matters because it summarizes where one-time federal funding and other county efforts are being directed and how those investments will affect public services, infrastructure and planning across the county.

Bill Amlin, the county administrator, told the board that the county "went back and counted" ARPA actions and has processed contracts and obligations across many areas of the budget. "We are now fully obligated as of the end of the year," Amlin said, adding that the board and staff used the funds for projects ranging from workforce development to park infrastructure and behavioral-health housing.

Amlin and staff cited several examples shown in the report: the county has processed more than a hundred ARPA-related contracts and recorded dozens of board…