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Authorizing the Use of State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to Fund the Kane County Manufacturing and Sustainability Fund for the Kane County Development and Community Services Department
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WHEREAS, the Congress of the United States has enacted the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA”) to provide economic relief to State, Local, and Tribal governments responding to economic and public health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, the County of Kane has received a total of $103,413,041 (One Hundred Three Million, Four Hundred Thirteen Thousand, Forty-One Dollars) from the United States Department of the Treasury, in State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (“SLFRF”) pursuant to ARPA, and
WHEREAS, pursuant to ARPA and the administrative regulations adopted by the United States Department of the Treasury (“Final Rule”), the County of Kane shall use SLFRF to defray costs associated with its response to the COVID-19 pandemic within the County, to address the economic fallout from the pandemic, and lay the foundation for a strong and equitable recovery; and
WHEREAS, by Resolution 21-313, the Kane County Board has established the American Rescue Plan Committee (“ARPC”) as a resource for research, education, planning, and recommendations for the best allocation and uses of the County’s SLFRF; and
WHEREAS, by Resolution 21-156, the Kane County Board approved the recommended Spending Plan as proposed by the ARPC, which designates $42,000,000 (Forty-Two Million Dollars) to be used for Kane County Department and Elected Office project requests; and
WHEREAS, the Kane County Development and Community Services Department has made a request in the amount of $1,040,000 (One Million Forty-Thousand Dollars) of SLFRF to fund Kane County Manufacturing and Sustainability Fund for the purpose of responding to the COVID-19 public emergency or its negative economic impacts; and
WHEREAS, the Kane County Kane County Manufacturing Sustainability and Recovery Fund will provide additional financial assistance for Kane County manufacturers to receive supports for recovery from COVID-19, develop practices for economic sustainability, and increase their competitive advantage. Manufacturers located in Kane County which apply for, and are given, technical assessments from the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC), would be eligible for an additional $25,000 from Kane County to reimburse eligible expenses associated for implementing recommendations by IMEC to improve, alter and add value to their business. All manufacturers located in Kane County which receive assessments from IMEC, which qualify as small businesses under the ARPA SLFRF definition, and can demonstrate a public health or economic harm are eligible. As part of the services it offers, IMEC (Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center) provides small and mid-sized manufacturers (SMMs) in Illinois technical assistance and expertise to solve many issues they face in the COVID-19 era. This fund is designed to remove the various hurdles in funding and know-how so SMMs can recovery from COVID-19 setbacks and embrace new technologies in their products and processes for a sustainable future; and
WHEREAS, the Development and Community Services Department seeks to partner with IMEC to administer this project; and
WHEREAS, IMEC is the U.S. Department of Commerce NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership Center for Illinois. IMEC assists Illinois manufacturers through its technical assistance and support services. IMEC is a team of improvement specialists dedicated to providing manufacturers in Illinois with the tools and techniques to excel and compete globally. In 2022 alone, IMEC assisted over 1,900 manufacturers and worked with its extensive ecosystem of partners, ranging from manufacturing associations to economic development centers and workforce boards, to ensure manufacturers had the resources and technical assistance they required.; and
WHEREAS, to assist the County in determining whether the project is an eligible use of SLFRF under ARPA, the Final Rule, and the related guidance issued by the United States Department of the Treasury, the ARPC consultant, Ernst and Young, has reviewed the Kane County Development and Community Services Department’s request for SLFRF for Kane County Manufacturing and Sustainability Fund for the purpose of responding to the COVID-19 public emergency or its negative economic impacts and completed an assessment regarding the project’s eligibility under the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Rules and regulations, Section EC-1: Public Health, EC Subcategory 1.8 (see Exhibit A); and
WHEREAS, the ARPC recommends that the Kane County Board authorizes the use SLFRF in the amount of $1,040,000 (One Million Forty-Thousand Dollars) to fund the Kane County Manufacturing and Sustainability Fund for the Kane County Development and Community Services Department, to be spent during the ARPA period of performance and in accordance with the ARPA, the Final Rule and related guidance issued by the United States Department of the Treasury, and any other Federal, State or local laws and regulations.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Kane County Board hereby authorizes the Kane County Development and Community Services Department use of State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds in the amount of $1,040,000 (One Million Forty-Thousand Dollars) to be used for the Kane County Manufacturing and Sustainability Fund, in accordance with the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the Final Rule, and related guidance issued by the United States Department of the Treasury, and any other Federal, State or local laws and regulations.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the Kane County Board that the Kane County Board Chairman is authorized to execute a grant agreement with Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center in the amount of $1,040,000 (One Million and Forty Dollars) of SLFRF, based on the proposal attached as Exhibit B , to be distributed in accordance with the terms established pursuant to the grant agreement attached as Exhibit C, with final form of each respective grant agreement subject to approval by the State’s Attorney’s Office. The general ledger account for the Fiscal Year 2024 budget will be 355.800.668.85000 Allowance for Budget Expense.
FY2024 $600,000 Lighthouse Manufacturing
(20 companies @ $30,000 each)
FY2024 $400,000 Expanding Talent Pipelines
(Events, assessment & technical assistance vouchers)
FY2024 $40,000 Program Outreach and Administration
(Administration)
Passed by the Kane County Board on October 10, 2023.
_________________________ _________________________
John A. Cunningham, MBA, J.D. Corinne M. Pierog MA, MBA
Clerk, County Board Chairman, County Board
Kane County, Illinois Kane County, Illinois
Vote: