• The U.S. Treasury Department has released an updated FAQ on how local governments can spend the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) dollars they will receive through recently-passed HB 481. You can access the updated FAQ HERE. Included in the additions, which are highlighted, is the update that, "payments from the Fund may be used to meet the non-federal matching requirements for Stafford Act (FEMA) assistance to the extent such matching requirements entail COVID-19-related costs that otherwise satisfy the Fund's eligibility criteria and the Stafford Act." Read more in the article below.

• This week, the Ohio Senate concurred on Am. SB 4, the bill that contains one year's worth of appropriation authority for Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) programs, including Round 34 infrastructure and Round 15 Clean Ohio. The bill has been sent to Gov. DeWine for his signature. Once the bill is enacted, OPWC will release the State Capital Improvement Program project agreements, proceed with the Small Government Program and accept emergency requests. You can access the bill analysis HERE.

• The Office of Budget and Management (OBM) processed payments from the Coronavirus Relief Fund last Friday, shortly after Gov. DeWine signed HB 481. County Treasurers should have seen the funds deposited into accounts on Tuesday, June 23. In order to receive the funds, local governments must pass a resolution regarding how the funds will be spent and send a copy of that resolution to grants@obm.ohio.gov. You can find a template resolution HERE. Local government must also register their DUNS with OBM at grants.ohio.gov.

• The Ohio EPA's Division of Environmental and Financial Assistance will be holding a second installment of a new series of webinars focused on environmental issues that have an impact at the local level. These webinars will occur throughout the year and cover a wide range of topics on different ways communities can promote environmental stewardship and improve the environment in their local area. You can read more in the article below.

• We want to thank Attorney General Yost for joining the Ohio Mayors Association conference call to discuss state initiatives related to local policing reforms. We also want to thank Office of Budget and Management Dir. Murnieks for joining our special general membership call to answer questions on how the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) dollars can be spent by local governments. Recordings of both calls are available in the members-only section of the League's website.

The National League of Cities (NLC) has released new survey data from over 1,100 municipalities across the country that shows our national economic recovery is at even greater risk of stalling if Congress fails to provide direct federal aid to America's cities and villages. You can find the survey results one-pager ( HERE) and infographic ( HERE).

As reported in The Washington Post, which you can read HERE,  cities shared data on spending cuts and personnel actions in response to the fiscal pressures of COVID-19. For example:

• 74% of municipalities have already started making unavoidable cuts and adjustments in response to the projected $360 billion revenue loss for cities over the next 3 years

• 65% of cities are being forced to delay or completely cancel capital expenditures and infrastructure projects

• 32% of cities indicate they will have to furlough or lay off employees.

This survey also found that nearly 70% of cities have not received funding through the CARES Act. You can read more abut how states are delaying  the disbursements of funds HERE. According to the NLC, states don't know when or even if more money is coming, they aren't comfortable allocating money to cities, and cities are left with nothing.

This survey can be used as a resource to help local leaders make their case to Congress that cities are essential  and need direct federal aid now. For other tools and resources from NLC, visit covid19.nlc.org

• As of Thursday afternoon, Ohio is reporting 47,651 cases of coronavirus, 2,772 deaths, 7,502 hospitalizations and 1,897 ICU admissions.

• The effective reproductive ratio, also known as R naught, measures how many people will be infected by a sick individual. The R naught had reached 2.4 in that region in April. In recent weeks, the R naught had declined to below one. However, in the last 10 days, the R naught has doubled over the last 10 days in the Cincinnati region.

• The Ohio Department of Health will continue funding for the valuable 2-1-1 service as Ohio enters into the next phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. 2-1-1 is a phone service that connects thousands of Ohioans to local non-profit and government services for healthcare, food and meals, housing, transportation, mental health, and legal services.

• At the beginning of the year, the service was available in 51 of Ohio's 88 counties. When the pandemic began, Ohio EMA asked Ohio AIRS, the non-profit that governs Ohio 2-1-1, to provide service to the remaining 37 counties in Ohio, which happened in March. Ohioans can also dial 877-721-8476 to get connected to 2-1-1.

• Gov. DeWine announced two public awareness campaigns aimed at spreading awareness of COVID-19 prevention measures that impact the well-being of Ohioans and the Ohio economy. The first campaign is called "I Believe" and focuses on real Ohioans and the prevention measures they take to prevent the spread of COVID-19. You can view the "I Believe - Face Masks" ad HERE and the "I Believe - Social Distancing" ad HERE.

• The second campaign, called "Up to All of Us", discusses the importance of Ohioans taking proper preventative precautions, like maintaining social distance and washing hands, in order to get Ohioans back to work, and our economy working again. You can view the "Up to All of Us" ad HERE.

• Lt. Gov. Husted announced that Independence Day fireworks shows can proceed, but large gatherings are still prohibited at this time. He encouraged any community that plans on holding a fireworks event to do so safely. Spectators are encouraged to find ways to celebrate the Fourth of July in small groups such as by watching displays from their porches, backyards, or cars.

• The first round of funding is being distributed to local criminal justice entities as part of the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Grant. Approximately $2.1 million will be awarded to a total of 65 local criminal justice agencies including law enforcement, probation/parole offices, corrections agencies, courts, and victim service providers. The funding can be used toward COVID-19 expenses such as cleaning supplies, PPE, and medical supplies like thermometers. The funding will also be used to pay for technology upgrades that are needed for teleworking or other virtual services. A complete list of today's grant recipients can be found at coronavirus.ohio.gov. 

• A total of nearly $16 million was awarded to Ohio's Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS) for this program as part of the CARES Act. OCJS continues to process other grant applications they've already received and are still accepting new applications from agencies that have not yet requested funding. More information on how to apply can be found at www.ocjs.ohio.gov

• Stress what your financial reality is in terms of your budget shortfall including funding or lack thereof that you have received from your state's distribution of the CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds.
• Please stress that emergency relief is not a bailout. Articulate what you would use the funds for and how they would contribute to the maintenance of critical services, planned capital expenditures and keeping your workforce employed.
• They should know that we are willing to consider guardrails in the legislation to ensure that funds cannot be used for unfunded liabilities.
• Your city or village is essential to the economic recovery. Without emergency relief from Congress, cities and villages will be ill-equipped to bounce back quickly from this deep recession.

• $319 billion for the Federal-aid highway program under the Federal Highway Administration
• $105 billion for transit programs under the Federal Transit Administration
• $5.3 billion for highway safety programs under the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• $4.6 billion for motor carrier safety programs under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
• $60 billion for rail programs.

• an increase the local share of the Surface Transportation Block Grant from 55% to 60% by the end of the five-year bill
• additional "fix-it-first" cost-benefit language, new discretionary programs for locals bringing almost $49 billion over five years in dedicated funding to address local transportation needs,
• additional reforms to strengthen the State-local relationship, enhance coordination, improve the flow of funds to communities of all sizes, and increase transparency.

• provide $40 billion over five years for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund
• provide nearly $20 billion over five years for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
• allocate $2 billion over five years for municipal sewer overflow and stormwater reuse grants and grants to address non-point source pollution and PFAS drinking water contamination
• invest in clean energy by:
  • reauthorizing of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block grant
  • promoting renewable energy development and deployment, and incentivizing EV and alternative fuel vehicles and related infrastructure
  • help build community resilience to extreme weather events by:
    • promoting green and natural infrastructure
    • creating a new pre-disaster mitigation program to conduct vulnerability assessments
    • requiring climate change impacts to be considered throughout the transportation planning process
    • creating a resilience revolving fund for hazard mitigation projects.

• reauthorizing and increasing funding for the brownfields program
• establishing guaranteed funding to enhance access to greenspace and develop recreational infrastructure in park-poor urban areas and traditionally underserved communities through the Outdoor Recreation and Legacy Partnership program.

• authorize $80 billion to build or upgrade broadband infrastructure not only in areas without any broadband, but also in areas with insufficient, asymmetrical, or high-latency service
• create a Broadband Infrastructure Financing Innovation Program (BIFIA), similar to the WIFIA program for water infrastructure, to provide financing for broadband projects
• overturn state preemption of municipal and public-private broadband ownership and operation
• provide a tax credit for public or public-private broadband provision through 2028
• establish an Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to coordinate all federal broadband funding and activity and provide education and technical assistance outreach to state and local broadband planners
• address broadband affordability and adoption rates through a $625 million digital equity grant program, expansion and reform for Universal Service Fund programs such as E-Rate and Lifeline, creation of a low-income household broadband subsidy, a federal broadband affordability study and a new broadband pricing reporting requirement for internet service providers
• create a $250 million grant program for rural development that incorporates broadband infrastructure and provisions to streamline broadband and telecommunications infrastructure on public lands
• authorize $12 billion for the rollout of Next Generation 9-1-1 technology in communities.

• makes it easier for smaller issues of tax-exempt debt, defined as issuing $10 million or less in tax-exempt debt annually, to get financing for capital improvement projects by being able to sell debt to small, regional banks
• raises the threshold for small issues from $10 million to $30 million to help smaller issuers that face increased costs of issuing debt due to the lack of economics of scale
• makes permanent the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) and increase the credit from 20% to 30% temporally and then phases it back down to 20%
• provides a new direct-pay bond that will provide a direct subsidy from the government to the investor and will be plussed-up in the event they become subject to sequestration.

• Open Burning, Odors, Dust, and Asbestos in Demolition - Open burning in Your Community - June 30, 2020 (10 a.m. - 11 a.m.)
• Presenter: Jim Kavalec, Division of Air pollution Control (DAPC)

• HB 705 - PUBLIC NUISANCE. Sponsored by Rep. Miller (D - Columbus), would amend the law regarding public nuisances and blight foreclosure actions and declare an emergency.

• HB 706 - POLICE TRAINING. Sponsored by Rep. Crawley (D - Columbus) and Rep. West (D - Canton), would require peace officers to complete training on de-escalation techniques, implicit bias, procedural justice, and mental health issues, to require information regarding mental health resources and available support be provided to peace officers annually, and make an appropriation.

• HB 707 - TEAR GAS. Sponsored by Miranda (D - Forest Park) and Rep. Boggs (D - Columbus), would prohibit the use of tear gas by peace officers.

• HB 709 - USE OF FORCE. Sponsored by Rep. Denson (D - Cincinnati) and Rep. Upchurch (D - Cleveland), would establish a database of records of use of force by law enforcement officers.

• HB 710 - POLICE PRACTICES. Sponsored by Rep. Denson (D - Cincinnati) and Rep. Upchurch (D - Cleveland), would prohibit police officers from engaging in biased policing and other status-based profiling and require the attorney general's office to establish rules regarding such police practices.

• SB 10 - THEFT IN OFFICE. Sponsored by Sen. Wilson (R - Maineville), would expand the penalties for theft in office based on the amount stolen and to include as restitution audit costs of the entity that suffered the loss. The bill was informally passed by the Senate. The League is supportive of this legislation.