American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)

The American Rescue Plan Act became law in March 2021. It provides relief from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic by allocating money to assist governments in creating new programs and supporting existing programs that address the problems brought on by COVID.

Sherburne County was allocated $18.9 million to assist its community in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts.

Allowable uses for the money include:

Support Public Health Response
Replace Public Sector Revenue Loss
Water and Sewer Infrastructure
Address Negative Economic Impacts
Premium Pay for Essential Workers
Broadband Infrastructure

Examples of how the ARPA money has been spent include:

Personal Protective Equipment for the Jail: $90,696
Business relief grants: $405,361
Non-profit relief grants: $429,568
COVID tests for jail inmates/employees: $59,725
Glass partitions in Court Administration: $23,300
Zoom meeting licenses: $63,600
Health & Human Services Housing Resource Specialist: $171,390

All ARPA projects are presented to Commissioners at their regular Board meetings and approved by voice vote. Paperwork required to show the necessity of the project, and how it meets federal ARPA standards for funding, are included in each meeting’s agenda and is available to the public for review.

All funds received by Sherburne County must be either spent or obligated by Dec. 31, 2024. Obligated funds must be spent by Dec. 31, 2026.

ARPA has created a variety of new programs and supplements to existing programs. To learn more about those programs, visit the U.S. Department of Treasury here.

See below for information about how Sherburne County has allocated or spent ARPA funds.