Council obligates remaining ARPA funds in ordinance approved after suspension of rules

The West Lafayette City Council voted to approve Ordinance 37-2024, moving remaining American Rescue Plan Act funds into the 2024 budget and authorizing staff to obligate those dollars before the federal deadline.

City Controller (transcript identification varies) said the city originally budgeted $11,400,000 of ARPA funds across four categories and has spent just under $9,900,000 to date. "We have $11,400,000 that we had budgeted into 4 different categories," the controller said, adding that an additional $27,539 was received and detailing prior budget adjustments, including a prior ordinance that added $1,086,943. The controller warned that any funds not obligated by month-end would need to be returned to the federal government.

Council opened a public hearing on the ordinance and, with no members of the public speaking, closed the hearing. The council then voted unanimously to suspend the rules to allow a second reading at the same meeting and approved the ordinance on its second reading. The roll-call tallies recorded seven ayes and no nays for the motions to adopt and to approve the ordinance on final reading.

The ordinance shifts remaining ARPA balances into the city’s revenue-loss category and other budget lines as detailed in the controller’s amendment (transcript references the amendment and packet materials). Councilors asked procedural and technical questions about timing and eligibility; the controller explained the city receives the majority of its funding in June and December and that the temporary loans and appropriation timing reflect cash-flow and statutory requirements.

Next steps: staff will proceed to obligate the ARPA funds per the adopted amendment and the controller’s instructions to meet the federal obligation deadline. The ordinance takes effect immediately as adopted on final reading.