Boulder County is seeking community input for the American Rescue Plan

In response to the ongoing COVID pandemic, the U.S. federal government passed the American Rescue Plan in January, committing $1.9 trillion for direct aid, economic relief and public health services. Funds are now starting to reach local communities and Boulder County is looking for community input for the best use of those funds.

As part of the American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, Boulder County received $63,359,749 distributed in 2021 and 2022. 

The U.S. Treasury Department issued guidelines and categorization for the ARPA funding:

• Support urgent COVID-19 public health response efforts to continue to decrease spread of the virus;
• Support immediate economic stabilization for households and businesses;
• Address systemic public health and economic challenges that have contributed to the unequal impact of the pandemic;
• Replace lost revenue for governments to strengthen vital public services and help retain jobs; and
• Make infrastructure investments in broadband, clean water, and wastewater facilities.

According to the county, “ARPA funds will support a strong and equitable recovery, respond to the public health emergency and negative economic impacts, and address racial, health and economic disparities.”

In order to do that, the Boulder County Commissioners Office and numerous partner organizations like the Community Foundation of Boulder County and Front Range Community College look towards the diverse interests of county residents for guidance. Community Foundation of Boulder County CEO Tatiana Hernandez and her team have been a part of the steering committee developing the survey and planning the outreach in partnership with a diverse group of stakeholders, she said. 

“ARPA funding is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for communities that think well into the future,” Hernandez said. 

The first stage of engagement was a town hall held September 9 through Zoom, where the Boulder County Commissioners discussed eligible use of the funds and took initial public commentary. The county is now moving into the second phase, a short survey open to all county residents.

“When I’m talking with folks about this survey, I’m not giving them examples... I don’t fill in those blanks because I want people to really think about it through their own lenses,” said Boulder County Commissioner Marta Loachamin.

Loachamin said the open-ended questions were intentional, to avoid covering ground that community needs assessments have already tackled since March 2020. The Community Foundation of Boulder County reached out to the county to help develop the process and bring regional stakeholders together for the planning.

The survey is a brief five questions, but the questions themselves are broad in scope. The questions address both the struggles of living in Boulder County and the issues that have arisen due to COVID. Hernandez emphasized that the perspective and input from the people of Boulder County were as valuable as data points as statistics on housing prices and demographic shifts.

“How people feel about their community, what their dreams are, what their hopes and aspirations are for the community are just as important as any of those other things,” Hernandez said.

The first round of ARPA funds has already been received by the county, with an initial allocation of $5 million going toward Boulder County’s immediate needs to respond to COVID recovery, including financial assistance to nonprofits and people facing homelessness and joblessness due to the pandemic. 

The deadline for residents to complete the survey is October 15 and then the county’s community engagement team will be codified into the language of the ARPA requirements. The county will then issue a report to the community and stakeholders, presented by Rebuild by Design as recommendations to the County Commissioners. According to Loachamin, the next phase of funding allocation will likely begin before the end of the year.

“This process of community engagement, for me, is the opportunity for local government to change the course,” Loachamin said. “This is the start of that process and we need to keep that commitment long term to engage, respond and update community members.”

Hernandez and Loachamin were both hopeful that the survey and community engagement would see long-term benefits beyond funding allocations – helping to build community trust with local government, participating in more county programs and transforming the community one resident at a time. 

Loachamin emphasized that the survey was for the entirety of the county and urged unincorporated county residents and mountain communities to add their voice. Hernandez echoed the sentiment, saying that the partnership wanted to reach every nook and cranny of the county.

The survey itself is presented in English, Spanish and Nepali, to be accessible to a large portion of the county residents. Residents also have an option of including their email address, to receive a copy of the survey results report and continue to be engaged in the process going forward. The survey will be available for every Boulder County resident through October 15.

“It can sometimes feel like the loudest voices take up all the air in the room and this is a moment where everyone’s voice counts,” Hernandez said.