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Council presses administration on ARPA award timeline and small-business recovery funds
Summary
Councilors questioned administration and consultants about ARPA subrecipient scoring, conflict‑of‑interest handling, and how remaining ARPA funds — including a $700,000 business recovery pot — will be allocated; administration said awards will be announced within about a week and will use interdepartmental MOUs to meet federal obligation deadlines.
City staff and outside consultants briefed the Everett City Council on the status of the city’s competitive ARPA subrecipient grant program and on plans to distribute remaining funds before federal/state obligation deadlines.
Why it matters: Everett has roughly $47 million of ARPA allocations. Councilors said many local nonprofits and small businesses depend on that money and asked when award letters and subrecipient agreements will be executed so funds can flow to programs still operating.
What officials said: Administration staff and consultants from ANSWER described the scoring process (advisory panels and recusal where conflicts were declared), reported the city received 34 unique applications for competitive subrecipient programs, and said a final award determination would be made shortly. Staff explained they are using interdepartmental MOUs and subrecipient agreements to meet the Dec. 31 obligation deadline while preserving compliance with federal Treasury rules. The administration said it expects public statements and award notifications “within the next week or so” and that executed subrecipient agreements will follow, after which disbursements can occur.
Councilor concerns and follow-ups: Councilors pushed for a public list of applicants and awardees, asked how communications were handled with applicants (including whether applicants expected confidentiality of financial information), and questioned whether federal vs. state rule differences could cause funds to be lost. The administration said it will provide updated allocation tables, a breakdown of what has been obligated/expended, and the list of awardees to council.
Small-business recovery: Councilors also pressed the administration to use some or all of a $700,000 allocation set aside for business recovery (item 22) to assist businesses hurt by long construction closures on Ferry and Elm Streets. The council voted to refer item 22 to the mayor’s office with instructions to consider a city-level loss-of-revenue assistance program and to return with details for all affected businesses, not just Ferry Street firms.
Next steps: The administration said it will notify award recipients publicly, execute subrecipient agreements, and provide council with detailed breakdowns (including amounts obligated under public health initiatives). Councilors asked the CFO and administration to post updated allocation/expenditure tables online and to send the council the list of awardees and the schedule for disbursements.
