Alessandro Gonzalez, an eighth grader in Guadalupe, receives his first dose of COVID-19 vaccine during a Santa Barbara County Public Health Department school-based clinic at Mary Buren Elementary on May 28, 2021. Santa Barbara County spent more than $1.7 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds on vaccinations.
Bob Nelson, the 4th District Supervisor, asked at Tuesday's county supervisor meeting if there are safeguards to be sure the ARPA funds are spent by the 2026 deadline.
A chart from the Santa Barbara County Executive Office shows projects that have been completed or are fully funded using American Rescue Plan Act money that was provided to the county.
Alessandro Gonzalez, an eighth grader in Guadalupe, receives his first dose of COVID-19 vaccine during a Santa Barbara County Public Health Department school-based clinic at Mary Buren Elementary on May 28, 2021. Santa Barbara County spent more than $1.7 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds on vaccinations.
Bob Nelson, the 4th District Supervisor, asked at Tuesday's county supervisor meeting if there are safeguards to be sure the ARPA funds are spent by the 2026 deadline.
A chart from the Santa Barbara County Executive Office shows projects that have been completed or are fully funded using American Rescue Plan Act money that was provided to the county.
Some of the American Rescue Plan Act funds previously allocated to various projects in Santa Barbara County were shifted around Tuesday by the Board of Supervisors without having to dip into the general fund or reallocate additional ARPA money.
Supervisors unanimously agreed to shift nearly $1.7 million in federal assistance funds among the projects, although one supervisor expressed concern over the small amount of available ARPA money the county has spent.
Funds transferred from a project that came in under budget and another where a department chose not to use ARPA money for a project equaled the amount needed for an overbudget project, to increase security at another and to pay salaries in the department that rejected the funds.
Santa Barbara County received $86.7 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds over the 2021-22 and 2022-23 fiscal years and allocated a little more than $40.2 million of that to 19 eligible projects.
But to date, the county has only spent just under $5.4 million of those funds, according to a report to the board.
ARPA funds must be obligated by Dec. 31, 2024, and spent by December 2026, the report said.
“We’re only spending $5 million of $86 million, and that’s really concerning,” 4th District Supervisor Bob Nelson said, asking if there are safeguards to be sure the funds are spent by the 2026 deadline.
Assistant County Executive Officer Nancy Anderson told Nelson some projects are three years long, so spending will show up as those projects progress.
“We still have a list of projects that are not funded,” Anderson added, noting the staff probably will be coming back to the board twice a year as the procurement processes continue to give supervisors a chance to reallocate funds.
Ted Teyber, fiscal and policy analyst, explained the Community Recovery Resource Hub project came in $182,000 under the budgeted amount, which made that money available.
The Public Works Department decided not to use the $1.5 million allocated for the Clean Water Toro Oil/Water Separator because it needed a less restrictive funding source for the complex procurement process.
Consultant Ernst and Young found General Fund salary costs associated with the project that the money could be used for, along with funds from the Recover Resource Hub, with the General Fund money then used for the separator project.
Remaining funds from the Hub included $79,000 transferred to the overbudget heating, ventilation and air-conditioning replacement at Santa Maria Juvenile Hall and $63,466 added to the Homeless Encampment Strategy project to add security services at the Isla Vista Community Center and county property on Calle Real.
Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.