Delaware County Holds Special Meeting to Discuss CARES Act Funding on September 29

Released: September 26, 2020

Delaware County Council will hold a special meeting on September 29 at 11:00a.m to discuss and deliberate on potential uses for the remainder of the $98.89 million in Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding that the County received.

The virtual meeting will address the legal requirements imposed upon CARES Act Funding and give an overview of the status of the County’s CARES Act funding, including a description of work in progress, and options for the remainder of the funds.

To date, a total of $56 million has been expended, obligated, or committed for qualifying expenses, leaving $43 million available to Delaware County. Funding was allocated for PPE and sanitation, public health services and outreach, financial assistance to business owners, nonprofit organizations and schools, equipment, and services to allow for the continuity of government during the pandemic, and other uses to meet the needs of residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the CARES Act, the qualifying goods and services employing these funds must be received by December 30, 2020.

“Our County, as well as other counties in the Commonwealth, was awarded CARES Act funding from the federal government to meet the greatest needs of residents and businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Delaware County Council Chairman Brian Zidek. “Council was tasked with utilizing these funds to best meet the needs of our residents. During the special meeting, Council will provide an update on how the funds were distributed and we welcome feedback on ways to best expend and disburse the remaining funds that will allow us to continue to serve our residents during the pandemic.”

The CARES Act requires that the payments from the Coronavirus Relief Fund only be used to cover expenses that:

1. are necessary expenditures incurred due to the public health emergency with respect to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19)

2. were not accounted for in the budget most recently approved as of March 27, 2020 (the date of enactment of the CARES Act) for the State or government

3. were incurred during the period that begins on March 1, 2020, and ends on December 30, 2020

The meeting will be held virtually and streamed live on the County’s website and on Council’s Facebook page:

www.delcopa.gov/council/video.html
www.facebook.com/DelawareCountyCouncil/

Residents are invited to email or phone in their public comment. Public comments must be submitted with the same information that is requested at a public meeting including the person’s name and address. Emails can be sent immediately to: PublicComment@co.delaware.pa.us

Please put “CARES Act” in the title of the email. Public comment will be accepted until the meeting is adjourned. The public comments will be read into record during the meeting and Council will respond if warranted. If you do not have access to email you can call in your public comment: 610-891-4931. Please give your name, address and public comment. Your comment will be transcribed and read into record. Emailed or phoned-in comments deemed inappropriate will not be read into public record.

More information on CARES Act Funding can be found here: https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/cares/state-and-local-governments