Guide to Local Recovery Update: October 6

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has extended the deadline for State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund recipients to submit their first Project and Expenditure Report into early 2022. Additionally, the National League of Cities is hosting two American Rescue Plan Act webinars, including one specifically for smaller cities. 

State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund recipients now have until Jan. 31, 2022, to submit their first Project and Expenditure Report. As a result, the report now covers the period between the award date and Dec. 31, 2021. For non-entitlement cities, the Project and Expenditure report is due on April 30, 2022, and will need to cover the period between the award date and March 31, 2022. The U.S. Department of the Treasury is expected to provide further instructions at a later date, including an update to existing guidance and a user guide.

Additionally, the Treasury Department clarified that there are no plans to use the ID.me system for non-entitlement city (NEU) reporting at this time. The department stated, "We are working on rolling out an alternative, more user-friendly method for NEUs to login to the Treasury portal, and guidance will be developed in the near future." Many cities, especially smaller ones, have raised concerns about the system.

The National League of Cities (NLC) is hosting two American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) webinars. On Oct. 7 at 11 a.m., NLC will host a webinar for cities with fewer than 50,000 residents who received assistance from the Fiscal Recovery Fund. The American Rescue Plan Act was the first time many small cities received a federal grant. First-time recipients need to be aware of the guidelines and responsibilities for complying and reporting the use of federal funds.

NLC will also host ARPA Office Hour: Community Impact 101, which will cover best practices for conducting a community needs assessment, outreach, and strategic usage of ARPA funds and programming. The webinar is scheduled for Oct. 14, at 12:30 p.m. 

City leaders seeking additional guidance should review NLC’s recent “Fundamentals of Budgeting with ARPA” webinar or visit Cal Cities Guide to Local Recovery.