ARPA

For Profit and Non-Profit Organizations only; no Individual/Family requests. Priority shall be given to organizations that operate within Town limits. All organizations providing services to Town residents are encouraged to apply.

All applicants are required to fill out the Letter of Intent. Qualified applications will be supplied an application form in its entirety. Incomplete or deficient applications will be disqualified for consideration.

• Letter of Intent Deadline:  June 30, 2022
• Task Force sends applications to qualified applicants:  September 1, 2022 
• Application Due Date:  November 1, 2022
• Recommendations to Mayor and Council Due Date:  February 1, 2023
• Periodic review, advice, and decision making by Mayor and Council.

*Above dates are subject to change.

• All Funds must be allocated by December 31, 2024
• All Funds must be expended by December 31, 2026

The U.S. Treasury’s Compliance and Reporting Guidance for State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds includes a list of expenditure categories. 

Document: https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/SLFRF-Compliance-and-Reporting-Guidance.pdf 

The U.S. Treasury has defined the following funding objectives:

• Revenue replacement for the provision of government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, relative to revenues collected in the most recent fiscal year prior to the emergency
• COVID-19 expenditures or negative economic impacts of COVID-19, including assistance to small businesses, households, and hard-hit industries, and economic recovery
• Premium pay for essential workers
• Investments in water, sewer, roads, and broadband infrastructure

Restrictions on the uses of these funds include:

• Funds allocated to states cannot be used to directly or indirectly to offset tax reductions or delay a tax or tax increase
• Funds cannot be deposited into any pension fund

In the Letter of Intent and Application, the applicant must identify to the Town which expenditure category/categories are applicable for the intended use of funds.

Some examples of projects/programs which may fall under these criteria are as follows:

• Job training programs to accelerate rehiring of unemployed workers
• Organizations that expand access to affordable housing
• Non-profits or organizations that provide food assistance, rent/mortgage assistance, etc. to prevent eviction or homelessness
• Aid to impacted industries
• New, expanding, or enhanced early learning services
• New or expansion of existing high-quality childcare to provide safe and supportive care for children
• Water, sewer and broadband improvements or expansion
• Public health initiatives such as vaccination programs, purchasing of personal protective equipment, improvement of community design to mitigate disease spread, etc.
• Public Safety such as street outreach, crime prevention through environmental design, restorative justice and reentry programs, hospital-based violence intervention programs, emergency preparedness, personal safety, community advocacy, and active transportation.
• Water, sewer, roads, and broadband improvements or expansion

This list is not inclusive and the decision to accept or deny any application shall be determined by the Town of Chestertown’s Mayor and Town Council in its sole judgement, based upon applicable criteria, and is not appealable.

All organizations – for- and non-profit with a Certificate of Good Standing – are eligible.  If it is a newly formed organization waiting for the Certificate of Good Standing, please apply and include a note with filing date and anticipated response from the State.  The organization must have all compliant paperwork before the Final Application is submitted.  No exceptions.

The US Departments of the Treasury is the definitive place for The American Rescue Plan. Make sure you are referencing the Final Rule documentation.

• The Final Rule (https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2022-01-27/pdf/2022-00292.pdf) as determined by the U.S. Treasury made effective on  January 27, 2022.
• Federal:  https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/coronavirus/assistance-for-state-local-and-tribal-governments/state-and-local-fiscal-recovery-funds

• All Funds must be allocated by December 31, 2024
• All Funds must be expended by December 31, 2026

Yes. If chosen to proceed, an application will be made available after the Letter of Intent closing date. Incomplete or deficient applications will be disqualified for consideration or returned with notes. 

• $50,000 minimum and high community impact for first phase of applications; there may only be one round of applications.
• There is not a maximum except there is a finite amount of funds available for allocation by the Task Force – $1.8M

• Maryland:  https://opendata.maryland.gov/stories/s/iig8-s6az  
• Helpful Webinars:  https://opendata.maryland.gov/stories/s/ARP-NEU-Webinars/5htm-kjus/
• Federal:  https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/coronavirus/assistance-for-state-local-and-tribal-governments/state-and-local-fiscal-recovery-funds

Yes.  Use separate LOIs/Applications for each project unless the projects connect to a singular impact goal/purpose.

• Tax returns for the last three years (2019, 2020, & 2021) may be required upon request.
• Budget detailing use of funds.
• Year to date balance sheet and income statement.

Click here to download a PDF sample of the ARPA application.