Committee holds ARPA reappropriation bill after line‑by‑line departmental review

The St. Louis City Housing, Urban Development and Zoning Committee on Tuesday held board bill 161 — a broad reappropriation of unspent American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and related funds — after department directors and nonprofit partners outlined balances, contract limits and outreach efforts.

Caitlin Smith, policy adviser to the mayor, told the committee the mayor's office coordinated a line‑by‑line review so aldermen could confirm that “every organization is on the same page” about contracts, compliance and the specific dollars proposed for reallocation. Smith said departments had been doing repeated reviews with compliance teams and that staff and directors were standing by to answer detailed questions.

Adam Pearson, director of the Department of Human Services, led a detailed account of DHS reappropriations. He described a $100,220 unused contract with United Way of Greater Saint Louis for case management; a $377,882.84 mortgage‑assistance balance related to ParkCentral Development Company that the department said could not be converted to rental assistance because of contract language and federal timing rules;…