Modesto has $23M to address affects of pandemic. Who will be helped in city plan?
Modesto officials are proposing to spend the millions the city is receiving from the American Rescue Plan on helping its downtown, neighborhoods and others in the community as well as trying to meet some of its own needs.
The City Council on Tuesday will consider approving Modesto’s spending plan for half of its American Rescue Plan funding. The city is receiving nearly $46 million in all, getting half now and the remaining half a year later.
President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan into law in March. The stimulus package is providing widespread relief from the effects of the pandemic, including $350 billion to the states and their cities and counties as well as U.S. territories and tribal governments.
More than $190 million is coming to Stanislaus County and its nine cities.
Modesto officials are proposing to spend the city’s nearly $23 million in three broad categories: economic vitality ($7.1 million), quality of life ($8.7 million) and governance and service delivery ($7.1 million).
The spending plan is outlined in “Modesto Forward,” which can be viewed at www.modestogov.com/749/City-Council-Agendas-Minutes and then by clicking on the links for Tuesday’s meeting and then the links for agenda item No. 18.
Some of the proposed spending includes $500,000 each for the Modesto Children’s Museum, the Graffiti USA Classic Car Museum and the Awesome Spot, a proposed inclusive playground at Beyer Community Park. An inclusive playground is one where children with disabilities play side by side with able-bodied peers and disabled parents can join their kids.
The proposed spending includes more than $2 million for downtown for such efforts as beautification, expanded Wi-Fi service and a revolving loan fund to attract development.
There also is $750,000 for removing blight, $120,000 for grants to neighborhoods, $1 million to help small businesses expand and keep workers, and $1 million for homelessness.
City officials also are proposing spending $800,000 on a mental health clinician program in partnership with Stanislaus County’s Behavioral Health and Recovery Services. City officials have talked about developing a new model for how the police respond to calls involving mentally ill people.
City officials propose spending some of the nearly $23 million on the city’s own needs.
That includes $2 million for maintenance at Fire Station No. 1, more than $1.8 million for the forestry division, which has not been able to keep up with maintaining city trees, $700,000 for help pay for updating the city’s general plan, which serves as a blueprint for how a city develops, and nearly $1.3 million for deferred maintenance in parks and the city’s other public facilities.
Officials also want to use $4.75 million to cover the city’s employee labor costs related to the pandemic.
In other matters, the City Council is expected to:
▪ Meet in closed session at 3:30 p.m. to evaluate whether to continue the 5 percent pay cut the council imposed against City Clerk Stephanie Lopez in December. A city investigation had found she had provided public records without having the city attorney’s office review them and included comments critical of city officials, primarily the then city attorney, in her emails. Lopez’s attorney has asked that this matter be discussed in public.
▪ Consider keeping angled parking along J Street in downtown between 10th and 14th streets. The city changed the parking along the street in the fall in part to make it more pedestrian friendly and provide space for outdoor dining.
The regular council meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. in the basement chambers of Tenth Street Place, 1010 10th St.
Residents can attend in person, but seating is limited because of the pandemic restrictions. Residents can also watch the meeting over Zoom. More information on how to watch and participate is available on the meeting agenda.
This story was originally published May 25, 2021 at 4:52 AM.
