CARES Act Funds Support Community
As I write this article, I never thought I would still be wearing a mask in public, social distancing and NOT going on vacation until hopefully this summer.
How many times over the years have we taken our health for granted? Now I am aware of every cough, headache and sniffle while wondering, “Do I have it?” The COVID-19 pandemic has definitely changed my life!
So, what has your city been doing for you and your neighbors to help us stay healthy? The federal government, through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, allocated funds for our community to help combat the negative effects of the pandemic. These funds can be used in a variety of ways ranging from personal protective measures and hygiene items to helping businesses suffering financial loss.
City services were reworked as buildings began closing to the public and restrictions were placed on face-to-face interactions. All City meetings, including council, boards, commissions and administration are now virtual and most of the City’s events we enjoy have been canceled or reimagined as virtual.
However, our city continues to provide needed services such as our safety and service associates who work 24/7 to keep us safe.
Some of the CARES Act funds were allocated to protecting employees from the virus by purchasing personal protection equipment, disinfectant materials, office barriers, air-quality improvements, temperature-taking kiosks and remote work equipment. Restrooms were converted to touchless faucets.
The Building Division used CARES Act funds to minimize in-person contact with the public by switching to digital submissions of building plans and permits. Laptop computers were purchased so City employees can work remotely. A helpline was organized early in the lockdown to help citizens by connecting them with resources, answering questions or simply checking in on senior community members.
Our city used federal funds to provide outdoor seating to local Town Center businesses, create grants to help local businesses weather their loss of revenue, help the Chamber of Commerce virtually produce events, provide funds for our school district to purchase technology so students can learn remotely and lend financial support to LifeCare Alliance’s Meals-on-Wheels program.
These are only a few areas where CARES Act funds were used to help curtail the negative financial effects of the COVID-19 virus.
As you read this article, I hope we are on the downslope of this pandemic and you and your family are healthy and virus free.
Roby Schottke
Council Member, Ward 4
Development – Using a Crisis to Plan a Future
The Creative Clinic Center utilized funds from the Small Business Working Capital Grant Program to purchase studio equipment, helping more efficiently livestream classes for their clientele.
COVID-19 has been an unexpected disruption in all our lives, not just for a few months, but for the greater part of a year. The effects have been profound, changing the way cities and citizens conduct daily life. Businesses and community members altered practices and policies to accommodate a constantly evolving crisis. Some find a “socially distant” lifestyle manageable, while others long for a return to “normal.” The question now is how to take what we learned in the last year and use it to move forward together.
Historically, major events, disasters and crises have sculpted cities all over the world. As we have seen firsthand, pandemics cause significant economic, social and political interference, which in turn lead to reactive and proactive planning. For example, during the tuberculosis outbreak at the turn of the 20th century, public parks became increasingly popular as fresh air and sunlight were considered remedial for containing the disease. There was a push for city development to integrate outdoor spaces in planning, influencing urban architecture. The same is true today as we observe a similar trend.
Lockdown measures, school and public space closures, and an uncertain job market have been hurdles experienced by all, Grove City included. We responded by listening to the community and focusing on the health of our citizens, businesses and local economy.
Thankfully, from the beginning of the pandemic, our city had new medical facilities and services with highly qualified professionals to answer the call. It’s this proactive city planning that helps minimize the local impact as these new facilities are prepared to respond to the growing medical needs by employing more than one million square feet of available medical infrastructure. The medical services now include the addition of The James Grove City, providing the latest in breast cancer services.
The James Grove City opened November 2020.
Grove City is among the communities leading the way in facilitating programs providing a safe way to move toward a new normal. One of the programs implemented by the City was the Small Business Working Capital Grant Program, helping small businesses recover some financial loss, reopen and reestablish operations during the pandemic. Approximately $200,000 of the City’s allocation of CARES Act funding was allocated to the program.
COVID-19 continues to test our community’s resilience as we shift focus and share resources to plan accordingly and grow together. Just as planning was affected at the turn of the 20th century, our response and recovery efforts will help guide planning for years to come.
Kyle Rauch is the Development Director for the City of Grove City.
