By Dana Kazel
St Louis County leaders took time during Tuesday's County Board meeting to celebrate the good work accomplished through the successful investment of the $54.5 million the county received in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. County Administrator Kevin Gray gave a presentation to the Board thanking them for their leadership in establishing a priority framework and for identifying needs in their districts that could be served with these funds.
St. Louis County successfully used the full $54.5 million it was allocated and provided the necessary documentation to the United States Treasury by the December 31, 2024 deadline. These federal dollars helped fund more than 100 projects county-wide that met the eligibility rules, including to respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency and address its negative economic impacts; to serve the hardest hit populations; and to make necessary investments in water, sewer, or broadband infrastructure.
Among the many notable projects that St. Louis County was able to invest in using ARPA funds:
. $12.5 million for a state-of-the-art leachate treatment system at the county's landfill in Virginia to protect groundwater from pollutants, including the forever chemicals known as PFAS.
. $7.3 million in youth investments including the highly successful Check & Connect program that help students re-engage in school, plus improvements to school buildings and youth recreation facilities, as well as expanding childcare options.
. $7.25 million in road improvements, filling the gap in funding when state aid funding was lessened.
. $6.9 million in housing initiatives, including shelters for people experiencing homelessness, plus construction/rehabilitation of transitional and affordable housing.
. $4.7 million to cover costs incurred by the County in responding to the pandemic, so these expenses didn't result in an increase to the property tax levy.
. $2.76 million in broadband access
. $2 million to complete the funding needed to open the Urgent Care Behavioral Health Center.
. $2.9 million in other community development investments.
In reflecting back on the challenges of the pandemic and the processes put in place for prioritizing use of ARPA funds, commissioners expressed their gratitude to staff and fellow Board members for working together to benefit people county-wide.
"There were so many good projects that we did – investments in childcare, housing and veterans," said Commissioner Mike Jugovich, who chaired the Board during the first two years of the pandemic. "We were able to change lives, improve lives. We were working together on projects in all of our districts. to do what's best for St. Louis County."
Added Commissioner Ashley Grimm, "As a County Board, we struck a real balance between core infrastructure projects that offset future levy impacts, and proactive initiatives. This was tiring work with competing priorities, and I'm genuinely grateful to everyone on this Board for working together."
"We had the foresight to look into the future and see what was going to be the most bang for the buck," said Commissioner Paul McDonald. "If you look at all the projects, we made an upgrade in all lives in St. Louis County with these investments."
For more information on how St. Louis County invested it's ARPA funds throughout the county, visit stlouiscountymn.gov/ARPA.
