Title
Approve the Village of Orland Park, Illinois, Interim Report for the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, part of the American Rescue Plan Act
History
The American Rescue Plan Act enacted several programs in order to provide a substantial infusion of resources to help turn the tide on the pandemic. The Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSFRF) and Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CLFRF) are intended to provide substantial flexibility for each government to meet local needs.
The Village of Orland Park is considered a Metropolitan City, and has been allocated $5,004,738. The Fiscal Recovery Funds may be spent in the following areas:
-Support public health expenditures, by, for example, funding COVID-19 mitigation efforts, medical expenses, behavioral healthcare, and certain public health and safety staff;
-Address negative economic impacts caused by the public health emergency, including economic harms to workers, households, small businesses, impacted industries, and the public sector;
-Replace lost public sector revenue, using this funding to provide government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue experienced due to the pandemic;
-Provide premium pay for essential workers, offering additional support to those who have and will bear the greatest health risks because of their service in critical infrastructure sectors; and
-Invest in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure, making necessary investments to improve access to clean drinking water, support vital wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, and to expand access to broadband internet.
Within these overall categories, recipients have broad flexibility to decide how best to use this funding to meet the needs of their communities.
Village revenues were impacted by the pandemic in 2020. Pursuant to guidance, covered own-source revenue (Village-wide) was expected to increase by 4.1% (this was a standard established in the legislative guidance).
ARPA funds can be used for the provision of government services, including maintenance or pay-go funded (i.e. not borrowed) building of infrastructure, including roads and other categories. The funds specifically cannot be used for debt payments, pension contributions or replenishing financial reserves. Staff believes that community parks are a critical infrastructure for Orland Park.
The Village of Orland Park serves a major economic hub of the southwest suburbs of Chicago. In 2020, the international pandemic had a negative impact on sales taxes, recreation revenues, commuter parking revenues, and other revenues.
The Village operates and manages seventy (70) parks (including four (4) major parks), 651 acres of park land, three (3) recreation facilities throughout the community. Over the past twenty (20) years, several of the Village’s parks were falling into disrepair. The Village had been renovating one (1) neighborhood park every two (2) years. In recent years, the Village developed ramped up neighborhood park renovations, and was able to complete Phases I and II of renovations at the John Humphrey Complex, one (1) of the four (4) community parks.
One of the Village’s strategic priority areas is Quality of Life. Maintaining updated parks, with modern amenities, is critical to the quality of life that Orland Park residents expect. With this in mind, the Village recently embarked on a master planning process for the four (4) community parks: Centennial Park, Centennial Park West, Schussler Park, and phase III of the John Humphrey Complex. This master planning process has involved several key stakeholders and community members to ensure future features are purposeful and in line with the needs and desires of all community members. Key infrastructure that will be considered include: all abilities play grounds and ball fields, renovated ball fields with artificial turf to allow use in all weather conditions throughout the year, adding football fields that can be used by other field sports, pollinator gardens and other environmentally sustainable features for a venue for concerts and school graduations, sledding hills, marinas, fishing piers, and many others.
See the attached report for additional discussion on the Uses of Funds, Revenue Reduction Calculation, Promoting Equitable Outcomes, Community Engagement and Projects.
Once approved, an interim report will be filed with U.S. Treasury, which is due November 6, 2021. The next reporting deadline will be January 31, 2022. The second tranche is expected to be provided to the Village in summer, 2022.
Financial Impact
Recommended Action/Motion
I move to approve the Village of Orland Park, Illinois, Interim Report for the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, part of the American Rescue Plan Act