DEPARTMENT: City Manager’s Office
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Ana Bradshaw, COVID-19 Financial and Performance Liaison
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City Wide
SUBJECT:
Amendments to the Recovery and Resiliency Plan
SUMMARY:
An ordinance amending the Recovery and Resiliency Plan for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and any supplemental initiatives
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
City Council approved the Recovery and Resiliency Plan for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on June 4, 2020 to assist residents and businesses negatively impacted by the pandemic. The plan was developed around the five Guiding Principles of: 1) Public Health and Safety; 2) Equity; 3) Braided Funding; 4) Community Resiliency; and 5) Well-being.
The work was comprised of four pillars: Workforce Development, Housing Security, Small Business Support, and Digital Inclusion. Each pillar was comprised of multiple initiatives with identified budgets for each initiative. Funds were appropriated as follows.
|
Pillar |
Federal Funds |
General Fund |
Total |
|
Workforce Development |
$12.7 Million |
$62.3 Million |
$75.0 Million |
|
Housing Security |
$50.5 Million |
|
$50.5 Million |
|
Small Business |
$38.1 Million |
|
$38.1 Million |
|
Digital Inclusion |
|
$27.3 Million |
$27.3 Million |
|
Total |
$101.3 Million |
$89.6 Million |
$190.9 Million |
In addition, City Council approved the plan to fund the City’s ongoing emergency response to the pandemic. Funds in the amount of $190,796,808 were appropriated to fund eligible payroll expenses, the health implementation plan, and supplies and equipment for the City’s Emergency Response Plan. Funds were appropriated as follows.
|
Pillar |
Federal Funds |
|
Health Implementation Plan |
$54.5 Million |
|
City Response Payroll |
$114.6 Million |
|
Supplies and PPE |
$21.7 Million |
|
Total |
$190.8 Million |
Staff have continued to monitor the expenses associated with the Recovery and Resiliency Plan and City’s emergency response. Three ongoing challenges were identified and presented to City Council on September 9. Those challenges included:
1. No additional federal funding allocated by Congress to support the City’s response;
2. The anticipated exhaustion of funding allocated for the City’s Emergency Housing Assistance Program in early October 2020; and
3. The need to fund the ongoing pandemic health response after December 30, 2020 when Coronavirus Relief Funds expire.
As a result of these challenge and through the monitoring of expenses, staff identified potential amendments to the Recovery and Resiliency Plan and the City’s Emergency Response Plan which were also presented on September 9. These proposed amendments will address the existing challenges and continue to leverage all available funding to fund these programs. Those recommended amendments to the plan include:
• Leverage existing funding by aligning budgets with actual expenses;
• Allocate $21.9 Million to fund Phase 3 of Emergency Housing Assistance Program; and
• Identifies resources to fund the ongoing Health response into 2021
ISSUE:
Staff have continued to monitor the expenditures associated with the Recovery and Resiliency Plan and City’s emergency response. Three challenges were identified.
ALTERNATIVES:
Were City Council not to approve the recommended amendments, funding for the Emergency Housing Assistance would be exhausted in early October 2020 and there would be no additional funding to support the ongoing public health response to the pandemic past December 30, 2020. In addition, some funding some federal funding could expire without being expended.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This ordinance amends appropriation in the Recovery and Resiliency Plan and the City’s Emergency Response Plan. Amended appropriation are as follows:
|
Recovery and Resiliency Plan |
Adopted Budget |
Proposed Amendments |
Revised Budget |
|
Workforce Development |
$75.0 Million |
- |
$75.0 Million |
|
Housing Security |
$50.5 Million |
$10.2 Million1 |
$60.7 Million |
|
Small Business |
$38.1 Million |
- |
$38.1 Million |
|
Digital Inclusion |
$27.3 Million |
- |
$27.3 Million |
|
Total |
$190.9 Million |
$10.2 Million |
$201.1 Million |
|
|
|
|
|
|
City’s Emergency Response Plan |
Adopted Budget |
Proposed Amendments |
Revised Budget |
|
Health Implementation Plan |
$54.5 Million |
$(1.0 Million) |
$53.5 Million |
|
City Response Payroll |
$114.6 Million |
$17.2 Million |
$131.8 Million |
|
Supplies and PPE |
$21.7 Million |
$(7.0 Million) |
$14.7 Million |
|
Total |
$190.8 Million |
$9.2 Million |
$200.0 Million |
1 The total increase to the EHAP is $21.9 Million; the additional funding being reallocated is included in the FY 2021 Proposed Budget for Affordable Housing.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the amendments to the Recovery and Resiliency Plan and City’s Emergency Response Plan for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Coupled with the additional funding for the Emergency Housing Assistance Program, staff recommends the following change to eligibility criteria for Phase 3:
|
Current |
September 9 Recommendation |
Revised Recommendation |
|
Reside within the San Antonio city limits |
Reside within the San Antonio city limits |
Reside within the San Antonio city limits |
|
Provide documentation of hardship due to COVID-19 |
Provide documentation of hardship due to COVID-19 |
Provide documentation of hardship due to COVID-19 |
|
Rental or Mortgage |
Rental |
Rental or Mortgage |
|
Up to 100% AMI |
Up to 50% AMI |
Up to 80% AMI |
Under this revised recommendation, assistance is tiered based on the applicants AMI as follows:
• If an applicant’s AMI is at or below 50% AMI, the applicant is eligible for 1 month of rental or mortgage assistance, utility (SAWS, CPS, Internet) assistance, and a cash grant (up to $300). If a second month of assistance is needed, the applicant is eligible for a $500 cash grant only.
• If an applicant’s AMI is between 51% and 80%, the applicant is eligible for 1-month rental or mortgage assistance. If a second month of assistance is needed, the applicant is eligible for a $250 cash grant only.