ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act)

ARPA Funding Available to the City of Fort Pierce

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) was signed into law on March 11, 2021. The $1.9 trillion program is designed to address the COVID-19 pandemic, including public health and economic impacts.

The bill appropriated $65.1 billion in direct federal aid to all counties in Florida based on their population proportion of the United States. ARPA funds have been allocated to the City of Fort Pierce in the amount of $13,502,665.

Allowable Uses

The City may use the funds to:

Respond to or mitigate the public health emergency with respect to the COVID-19 emergency or its negative economic impacts
Provide government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue
Make necessary investments in water, sewer, or broadband infrastructure
Respond to workers performing essential work during the COVID-19 public health emergency by providing premium pay to eligible workers of the county that are performing such essential work, or by providing grants to eligible employers that have eligible workers who perform essential work.

ARPA Spending Plan

Staff recommended the following projects to the Fort Pierce City Commission based on a needs assessment, project review, and project prioritizing process.

Infrastructure Projects - $2,385,000

The collection and treatment of wastewater and stormwater play a critical role in protecting public health. The City has identified the following stormwater projects to be funded by ARP:

Stormwater Drain Replacements

North 16th Street (Avenue K to Avenue I) - $250,000
Atlantic Avenue (S 5th Street to S 7th Street) - $390,000
Avenue Q ( N 14th Street to N 17th Street) - $485,000

Drainage Improvements

Phase III of Surfside Drainage Improvements including Sunset Isles, Mimosa, Jacaranda - $1,160,000

Sanitary Sewer Improvements

Little Jim Bridge, North Hutchinson Island - $100,000

Refuse Collection Vehicles - $2,116,047

Approved by City Commission January 3, 2022

As a result of residents staying home to observe social distancing guidelines as well as the dramatic increase in single-use products like PPP during the pandemic, the quantity of curbside waste significantly increased throughout the City. The purchase of additional refuse collection trucks will allow the City to continue to efficiently provide the invaluable service of waste collection.

Broadband Initiatives - $2,000,000

COVID-19 has underscored the importance of universally available, high-speed, reliable, and affordable broadband coverage as residents rely on the internet to participate in remote school, healthcare, work, etc. Eligible projects in broadband are those that are designed to provide services meeting adequate speeds and are provided to unserved and underserved households and businesses.

The City proposes the following broadband connectivity initiatives:

Lincoln Park Broadband Initiative - $1,000,000
Smart City Downtown Broadband Initiative - $250,000
Citywide Broadband Improvements - $$750,000

Enterprise Resource Planning - $1,147,103

Approved by City Commission June 21, 2021

COVID-19 has emphasized and accelerated the City’s strategic goal of adopting contactless, cloud-based technologies to provide the best service to our community.

New Enterprise Resource Planning Software will provide the following modern functionality to operate more efficiently:

Electronic Plan Review
Paperless Purchase Order System
Asset Management
Bid Management
Online Payments
Online Public Record Requests

Axon Tech Improvements - $2,473,199.80

Approved by City Commission September 20, 2021

The Axon ecosystem gives law enforcement new tools to protect life by transforming public safety with technology.

The enhanced program provides:

Expanded Body Camera and Taser Initiative
In-Car Video
Automatic License Plate Readers
VR Training
Drone Program

City Marina Security - $289,748.93

Approved by City Commission March 7, 2022

In an effort to promote a safe environment for all patrons and visitors, the Fort Pierce City Marina proposed the implementation of security technologies under the American Rescue Plan, including:

Indoor and outdoor security cameras
Access control devices

Premium Pay Essential Workers - $1,080,186

Approved by City Commission September 20, 2021

Essential workers have been and continue to be relied upon to maintain continuity of operations of essential critical infrastructure sectors. ARP funding may be used to provide premium pay to eligible workers performing essential work during the COVID-19 public health emergency. City of Fort Pierce essential staff has been identified for competitive compensation enhancement under the ARP.

Estimated Lost Revenue - $1,000,000

The ARP provides governments with a substantial infusion of resources to rebuild a stronger, and more equitable economy as the country recovers. The City may receive approximately $1M of lost public sector revenue, using this funding to provide government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue experienced due to the pandemic.