OML UPDATE AT-A-GLANCE

Here are the top three things you need to know from this past week:

·        The League is joining the Ohio Office of Budget and Management (OBM), the Ohio Mayors Alliance, the Ohio Township Association and the County Commissioner’s Association of Ohio for a webinar to discuss the processes and procedures of subgranting CARES Act funds to other entities. The webinar will take place on Friday, September 25, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. and will cover requirements under the CARES Act, how to establish a subgrant, innovative uses of CARES Act funds with other entities, and best practices for local governments looking to share resources or partner with other entities to deliver programs with CARES Act dollars. This webinar is available only to members of the League. For more information and to register, click HERE.

·        The U.S. Treasury has released additional Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) guidance with new information regarding applying relief aid for public safety payroll expenses and administrative costs. You can access the updated formal guidance document HERE and separate FAQ document HERE. Read more in the article below.

·        The Ohio Development Services Agency (DSA) has announced it will provide $9.1 million in grant funding to 15 local governments through the Residential Public Infrastructure and the Critical Infrastructure program. The money will be used for community projects involving water and sewer infrastructure, street reconstruction and flood and drainage remediation. You can find the full list of grant recipients HERE.



U.S. TREASURY RELEASES UPDATED GUIDANCE ON CARES ACT FUNDS USES

The U.S. Treasury has periodically released updated guidance documents and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding how municipalities can use the Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF) created and allocated by the federal CARES Act and distributed to Ohio local governments through HB 481 and the Controlling Board.

Last week, the U.S. Treasury released an updated formal guidance document and a separate FAQ document, attached in the bullet point above, with new formal guidance on two additional sections. The first new section is “Supplemental Guidance on Use of Funds to Cover Payroll and Benefits of Public Employees” and the second is “Supplemental Guidance on Use of Funds to Cover Administrative Costs.”

This first new section clarifies that “public safety employees would include police officers (including state police officers), sheriffs and deputy sheriffs, firefighters, emergency medical responders, correctional and detention officers, and those who directly support such employees such as dispatchers and supervisory personnel.” This presumes that public health and safety employees are substantially engaged in responding to the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19 response efforts from public health and safety employees is considered in the guidance to be significantly and thereby unaccounted for in the most recently-approved local budgets as of March 27. This means all of the employee costs can be covered by CRF funds. 

The updated documents also clarify that covered benefits “include, but are not limited to, the costs of all types of leave (vacation, family-related, sick, military, bereavement, sabbatical, jury duty), employee insurance (health, life, dental, vision), retirement (pensions, 401(k)), unemployment benefit plans (federal and state), workers compensation insurance, and Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes (which includes Social Security and Medicare taxes).”

The second new section informs local governments that they cannot apply traditional federal indirect costs rates to CRF payments. If they track time consistently across a department, however, they may cover the portion of payroll and benefit costs of employees that spend time on administrative work necessary because of the COVID-19 emergency.

The FAQ document contains new information about four additional issues: costs related to safe reopening of schools; expenses related to public health infrastructure such as improving access to running water; instructions for entities that have a fiscal year starting July 1 or October 1; and applying National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to CRF payments. We will continue to keep our members apprised as additional updated guidance is released.

There is still time for those local governments that have not yet passed operating legislation to participate in current and future distributions of federal relief aid available through the CARES Act. The League would encourage those municipalities that have not yet acted on this opportunity to consider doing so, especially in light of the expanded guidance by the Department of Treasury and the potential for timelines to be extended on when the federal aid can be used.



U.S. SENATE FAILS TO PASS “SKINNY” PHASE 4 CORONAVIRUS RELIEF PACKAGE

We want to once again thank Irma Esparza Diggs, Senior Executive and Director of Federal Advocacy for the National League of Cities (NLC), for providing continuing updates on the efforts of the federal government to reach an agreement on additional assistance to state and local governments. Below is the latest information on where the negotiations stand.

On Thursday, the Senate failed to pass a “skinny” phase 4 coronavirus relief package in a 52-47 vote. The bill needed 60 votes to advance through the legislative process. The package did not contain any state and local aid and does not create extended flexibility for local use of current CARES Act funding. It also did not include another round of stimulus checks for Americans or much-needed money for airports and transit.

There are a few provisions that would have affected local governments. While not providing much-needed additional funding and flexibility for political subdivisions, the bill extended the deadline for spending already appropriated money from the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) monies allocated in the CARES Act to Sept 30, 2021. The bill also redirected unobligated CARES funding by repurposing $146 billion in unspent CARES Act relief for small business funding. Finally, the legislation provided liability protections for a variety of institutions, including local government agencies, against some COVID-related personal injury claims.

Below are other notable provisions that were included in the legislation:

·        A $300 bolster to weekly unemployment benefits – reduced from a $600 boost that expired in July – that will run through Dec. 27. The amount is what President Trump promised the federal government would provide out-of-work Americans in an executive order last month.

·        A second round of loans under the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses. Businesses will have to have less than 300 employees and show at least a 35% gross revenue reduction compared to last year.

·        A $10 billion loan given to the Postal Service would be forgiven and thus turned into a grant. The Postal Service would be required to offer a report to Congress on how the virus has increased its expenses.

·        $105 billion through an Education Stabilization Fund for schools as students go back to classes across the country. The bill also includes a two-year tax credit for private schools and other scholarship-granting organizations.

·        $16 billion for coronavirus testing and $31 billion for development of vaccine and therapeutics

·        $20 billion in relief for farmers and $500 million in federal assistance for fishers.

Before the vote, Ohio’s U.S. Senators Portman and Brown both stated publicly that they wanted to see the final version of the bill include additional and flexible funding for state and local governments. Sen. Portman said that in addition to more state and local relief, he would like to see language allowing local governments to use federal funds to cover lost revenues.

Sen. Brown stated that along with additional funding for payments to unemployed workers, he would like to see the bill include new funding for schools and local governments, as well as some protection for renters facing eviction.

Local governments unquestionably need more robust and flexible funding if they are to help the state, as well as the nation, work towards economic recovery. Congress needs to hear from local leaders about the challenges Ohio’s cities and villages are facing and how additional flexible funding would support the continued local frontline response to the pandemic as well as help stabilize local and regional economies. It is important for our members to continue to share the fiscal impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the budgetary forecasts of your municipality with Ohio’s congressional delegation and to impress upon them the importance of including an extension of the current CARES Act deadlines on when local governments must use the federal aid, and that additional state and local funding in a phase 4 coronavirus relief package is critical.

 

OHIO CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE UPDATE

·        As of Thursday afternoon, Ohio is reporting 134,086 cases of coronavirus, 4,354 deaths, 14,164 hospitalizations and 3,070 ICU admissions.

·        Governor DeWine released this week's new Ohio Public Health Advisory System map. Which you can access HERE.
o  Upgraded to Level 3 (Red): Summit
o  Remaining at Level 3 (Red): Butler, Mercer, Montgomery, Preble, and Putnam
o  Downgraded to Level 2 (Orange): Lucas and Wayne
o  There are no counties on Ohio’s Watch List

·        Thousands of Ohio children who qualify for free or reduced-price meals but are currently learning remotely will soon receive additional money to purchase nutritious foods through the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program made possible by the Federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Parents do not need to apply to receive these benefits. The benefits will be automatically loaded onto existing Ohio Direction cards or a pre-loaded card will be sent in the mail.

·        In response to a barrage of rumors surrounding Ohio's latest non-congregate sheltering order, Governor DeWine stressed that there are no orders in Ohio to create "FEMA camps" to quarantine citizens against their will. The order, which was first issued on March 31 and then renewed on April 29 and August 31, creates a funding mechanism to allow for federal reimbursement for communities that choose to offer alternate locations for people to safely quarantine outside of their homes. If a citizen chooses to recover in a quarantine housing location, others in the household can remain at home and unexposed.

·        The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) has granted a spectator variance to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio taking place September 11-13, 2020. Attendance will be limited to 6,000 spectators, and social distancing and masks will be required in accordance with state health guidelines. Governor DeWine previously announced 6,000 spectator variances for the Browns and Bengals for two upcoming games each.

·        The Ohio BMV was awarded the Customer Convenience Award for their Get in Line, Online virtual queuing system, which allows a customer to secure a spot in line at the agency without actually being physically present. Once customers arrive to check-in, they move to the front of the line with minimal wait time.


  • In an effort to promote mental health, Governor DeWine's RecoveryOhio team partnered with the Ohio Department of Insurance to launch a series of television, radio, and digital ads to help Ohioans who have questions about their health insurance coverage when seeking treatment. The PSAs will begin airing next week in Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland. Ohioans with questions about mental health and substance   use disorder benefits can contact the Ohio Department of Insurance at 1-800-686-1526.

  • The deadline to complete the 2020 Census is quickly approaching. The census, which only takes about 10 minutes to complete, impacts the state for the next 10 years, including how federal, state and local funding is distributed and determines congressional representation. Ohioans can complete their census by either going to 2020Census.gov or calling 1-844-330-2020.

  • Ohioans filed 17,983 initial jobless claims last week, according to statistics the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) reported to the U.S. Dept. of Labor. Over the last 25 weeks, ODJFS has distributed more than $6.3 billion in unemployment compensation payments to more than 799,000 Ohioans. Of the more than 1 million applications the agency has received, more than 94% have been processed, with less than 6% pending. In addition, ODJFS has issued more than $5.5 billion in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) payments to more than 557,000 PUA claimants.




AARP TO HOLD WEBINAR ON AGE-FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES

Join AARP Ohio for a complimentary, statewide Age-Friendly Network Conference on Wednesday, September 23 and Thursday, September 24 from 9 am until noon each day.

This two-day virtual event will host nationally respected experts, TED-style talks and panel discussions with participation from the audience, with plenty of opportunity for all attendees to ask questions. We’ve created this event for those want to know more about Age-Friendly Communities and the issues they face, as well as those for those already involved in Age-Friendly work.

The AARP Ohio Age-Friendly Network Conference includes:

·        Age Friendly 101: You will learn what it means to be a member of the Age Friendly Network (includes Q&A)

·        Racial Disparity and the Age Friendly Domains: Topics discussed will be: Housing, Health, Transportation and Mobility.

·        Working on Age Friendly Goals with the Reality of COVID-19: We will hear real stories from real Age-Friendly communities, and how they are responding to COVID-19.

The event is free but registration is required. If you plan to attend both days, please note that separate registrations are required for each day. To register for Day 1, click HERE. To register for Day 2, click HERE.