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Scottsdale is preparing for the potential receiving of almost $852,000 in public assistance grants related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Scottsdale City Council approved at its May 19 meeting the acceptance of those grants, if awarded, as well as a budget transfer equal to each grant award from the fiscal year 2019-20 future grants budget and the grant contingency budget to a newly-created cost center for recording related grant activity.
The city applied for the following grants:
CARES Act Airport Grant --- $157,000;
Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Program --- $94,987;
Assistance to Firefighters Grant --- $100,000; and
Disaster Recovery Assistance --- an amount not to exceed $500,000.
Both the CARES Act Airport Grant and the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Program are completely federally funded. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant requires the city to match 10% of the funds while the Disaster Recovery Assistance funds require a 25% match from the city.
The police department, city staff say, will likely absorb the city-matching costs with its fiscal year 2019-20 budget. If the department can’t fund it, then staff will make a request for contingency funds to offset the costs.
City staff say the need for these funds stem from continual incurring costs for reducing the spread of the novel coronavirus which causes COVID-19.
President Donald Trump signed the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act into law on March 27. The purpose of the act is to address the economic effects from the COVID-19 pandemic by providing federal assistance to individuals, businesses and municipalities.
The Scottsdale Airport will manage funds from the CARES Act Airport Grant, which will go toward airport operating expenses.
Money from the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Program will go toward prevention, preparation and response to the coronavirus. The police department will manage these funds.
Assistance to Firefighters Grant, which the fire department will run, will purchase personal protective equipment and other related supplies for first responders.
The Disaster Recover Assistance, which the city treasurer’s office will manage, will help the city recoup disaster-related costs that aren’t eligible through any other grant resource. City staff don’t know the exact potential amount but say they applied for up to $500,000.
On Dec. 31, 2019, the World Health Organization said it received reports from Chinese health authorities saying dozens of people in Wuhan, China had pneumonia from an unknown source though health authorities eventually identified a novel coronavirus.
The WHO then declared a public health emergency on Jan. 30 with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services following suit the next day.
Cases of COVID-19 continued to rise worldwide and on March 11, the WHO declared a pandemic.
That same day, Gov. Doug Ducey declared a state of emergency for Arizona. Two days later, Mr. Trump declared a state of emergency for the country.
These events prompted Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane to declare a state of emergency on March 18, with the City Council approving the continuation of the proclamation on March 24.
Throughout March and April, many local businesses, schools, churches and other facilities closed or adjusted operations. Residents began remaining home as Mr. Ducey’s stay-at-home order took effect on March 31.
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