Embedded Files
In September-October 2021, member regions of the Michigan Association of Regions (MAR) and MSU Extension hosted local and tribal government officials to explore American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund spending opportunities in a regional context. The workshops covered:
ARPA Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund Basic Rules
Best Practices and Early Examples of ARPA Spending
Practical Considerations for Contracts, Accounting, and Project Management
Group Discussions Related to Regional Collaboration
Leveraging Other State and Federal Funding and Priorities
The presentation handout and recording are available for review. Content is based on the U.S. Department of Treasury's May 17, 2021 Interim Final Rule for the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. Communities are encouraged to seek qualified counsel for specific questions about the use of funds in accordance with federal rules.
Extension educators analyzed the comments in discussion boards for each region (right) to create overall summaries of stated Municipal Needs and broader Community Needs (depicted below with the number of specific needs mentioned in the parent category):
Regional Needs and Collaborations
At each workshop, participants were divided into small groups to discuss:
What are the immediate needs of your jurisdiction?
What are the broader needs of the community in general?
What do you see as possible collaborations and partnerships?
Visual summaries of group discussions for each region:
For more information, visit:
MSU Extension Center for Local Government Finance and Policy - https://www.canr.msu.edu/tag/local-government-federal-revenue
MSU Institute for Public Policy and Social Research, ARPA Funding Community Information - https://ippsr.msu.edu/arpa-funding-community-information
Michigan Department of Treasury, ARPA Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund - https://www.michigan.gov/arpa
Workshop Instructors & Facilitators:
Eric Scorsone, PhD, Associate Professor - MSU Department of Agriculture, Food, and Resource Economics; Director - MSU Extension Center for Local Government Finance and Policy
Arnold Weinfeld, Director - Workforce and Economic Development Partnerships, MSU Office for Public Engagement and Scholarship; Associate Director - MSU Institute for Public Policy and Social Research
Mary Schulz, Associate Director - MSU Extension Center for Local Government Finance and Policy
MSU Extension - Government & Community Vitality Team: John Amrhein, Tyler Augst, Will Cronin, Harmony Gmazel, Brad Neumann, Andy Northrop, Bethany Prykucki, Mary Reilly, and Eric Walcott
Thanks are extended to staff of each of the 14 member regions of the Michigan Association of Regions: Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG), Region II Planning Commission (R2PC), Southcentral Michigan Planning Council (SMPC), Southwest Michigan Planning Commission (SWMPC), GLS Region V Planning & Development Committee (GLSRPDC), Tri-County Regional Planning Commission (TCRPC), East Michigan Council of Governments (EMCOG), West Michigan Regional Planning Commission (WMRPC), Northeast Michigan Council of Governments (NEMCOG), Networks Northwest, Eastern Upper Peninsula Regional Planning & Development Commission (EUPRPDC), Central Upper Peninsula Planning & Development Regional Commission (CUPPAD), Western Upper Peninsula Planning & Development Regional Commission (WUPPDR), West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission (WMSRDC).
For more information, contact Brad Neumann, Senior Extension Educator, at neuman36@msu.edu
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