Scottsdale CARES for community needs through federal dollar allocations

Thompson lays out key areas of focus

By Melissa Rosequist
Twitter: @mrosequist_

Residents struggling during the global coronavirus pandemic may be soon receiving some much-needed assistance, as Scottsdale officials are planning to invest millions of federal funds into the community.

A total of 13 areas were proposed by Scottsdale’s City Manager Jim Thompson to receive funds from the city’s $29.6 million allocation of the CARES Act, ranging from homelessness to public safety reimbursement. However, little detail was provided on how each of the 13 areas would utilize the money.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security --- CARES --- Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump on March 27.

Through the CARES Act, a Coronavirus Relief Fund was created and appropriated $150 billion to be used to make payments for specific uses to states, the District of Columbia, U.S. Territories and tribal governments.

In what’s being called the AZCares Fund, local municipalities are now receiving funds through the state.

Scottsdale City Council was agreeable to each of the proposed areas Mr. Thompson suggested for monies to go, but members called for more specific information on spending prior to voting on the allocations later this month.

The City Council scheduled a one-hour study session meeting for the CARES Act funds discussion prior to its 5 p.m. regular business meeting on June 16; although the 60 minutes was not enough time for all details to be hammered out.

The funding priorities were broken down into two categories: community investment and city operations.

Community investment sectors proposed to receive funds are:

• Business assistance programs: $6 million;
• Arts and culture: $1.5 million;
• Community facility safety upgrades: $2.9 million;
• Care for vulnerable citizens: $2.5 million;
• Utility assistance for residents: $950,000;
• Technology: $200,000.

City operations sectors proposed to receive funds are:

• Safety retrofits to 32 city buildings: $2.2 million;
• Telework/technology expenses: $875,000;
• PPE, sanitation and cleaning: $840,000;
• Emergency response: $2 million;
• COVID-19 re-occurence preparation: $2 million;
• Testing and monitoring (if needed): $200,000;
• Public safety reimbursement: $4 million.

City Treasurer Jeff Nichols says in addition to the $29.6 million AZCares funds, there are a handful of other grants the city is chasing as well.

City Council members asked various questions about money allocated to the state, county and restrictions on received funds.

During the one-hour meeting, only one presentation was made regarding specific uses of the community investment, which was from Human Services Director Greg Bestgen.

Mr. Bestgen says while the Human Services Department serves residents year-round, they are expecting to see an increase in need coming up as stimulus and unemployment checks run out.

“One of the things I know we’re going to get hit hard with is --- probably in August, we’re probably going to see in September, into the fall --- we’re going to see folks that are really struggling because we know there are a lot of people out of work. We know the checks aren’t going to be coming in forever,” Mr. Bestgen said of residents needing food and rental assistance. “And, we know that folks are going to be [in need]. That I think is when I think we’re really going to see an uptick of the requests.”

The $2.5 million for care for vulnerable citizens is one of the more complex funding sectors, Mr. Thompson said, noting that it is comprised of a lot of smaller programs to get to the larger numbers, where some of the other sectors are one-time, large payments.

Assistance to those in need

Mr. Bestgen laid out a number of ideas in-the-works for helping residents in need, ranging from homeless individuals to senior citizens.

He says separate from COVID-19, the human services department has been working with outside resources to try and get more boots-on-the-ground services for people experiencing homelessness.

“Part of the numbers that you see are partnerships that we want to put on the streets,” Mr. Bestgen said. “One of them is a medical triage type group that already does great work in Phoenix. We’ve been in talks with them for about eight months now. That’s one of the areas, as you can imagine, that’s really lacking.”

The human services department has a database with 140 people --- mostly over the age of 55 --- who are experiencing homelessness. Mr. Bestgen says the department has met with each one of these people.

“We see some very significant health issues,” Mr. Bestgen said. “One of the things I’ve really been trying to get is some more medical triage assistance. That involves usually transporting someone, perhaps down to the human services campus, where there is a clinic there. Also, I think if can put those in place it should help our wonderful partner in the city, HonorHealth, because we know a lot of the admissions coming into the hospital are these frequent fliers --- if we can get them some intensive medical services, that’s going to be a big plus.”

Mr. Bestgen said he also wants to start a “Scottsdale Works Program,” which would help people on the street get a job.

The program, modeled off of something similar in Glendale, would allow for between five to 10 individuals, three times a week, to work for five hours a day at minimum wage.

“We will identify with Parks & Recreation ... also we have our own in-hour program that we’re growing, that will probably plug into that same program,” Mr. Bestgen said. “The great thing about this is that it’s a restorative type process. So when you take these folks, and give them value and meaning, in my book you’re adding to their spiritual well being.”

Further, by partnering with faith centers, Mr. Bestgen wants to set up a day-relief center. He says he’d like to set up two or three of those centers, which would provide hygiene, food, and day respite.

For Scottsdale’s senior centers, Mr. Bestgen wants to double the amount of residents served in the Beat the Heat program --- which provides necessary summer supplies to home-bound seniors.

“We want to get more home-delivered meals. We know we have a deficit in our northern part of the city of about 50 individuals that are on a wait-list to get a home-delivered meal,” Mr. Bestgen explained. “That’s what these funds are going to help us do, is work with the Area Agency on Aging, and with Foothills Care and Core to get more meals to those individuals.”

Council thoughts

The 60-minute meeting appeared to not be quite enough time for the group, as their special meeting came to an end.

Mr. Thompson’s goal was to ask the council to take action on the funds on July 1, citing a need to get some of the CARES Act funds into the community.

“Be it that we’re running out of time, our goal was to take action on July 1 --- you don’t have to take action on all of it --- you could take action on a few of it, whatever sections or programs you desire,” Mr. Thompson said. “Or, we could have another study session prior to that on July 1. Obviously we have meeting dates at the end of the month, July 1 and 2, and they’re pretty full agendas --- I’m looking at the city clerk saying we really don’t have the availability for time.”

Mr. Thompson said the city is in a quandary.

City Clerk Carolyn Jagger said her concern is that if the council is expected to vote on the items on July 1, it would be challenging to have a study session and notify the public of what’s being discussed at a meeting that’s going to take place an hour later.

“I’m a little worried about the noticing issue, more than anything. We could potentially do a study session on the 30th, but I don’t think it resolves the posting and noticing issue,” Ms. Jagger said. “It would take a little more conversation than what could do right now.”

Ultimately, the council took about another 10 minutes to give their final thoughts.

Mr. Thompson expressed that he would circle around with each individual councilmember to get their thoughts and comments on the proposed funding sections.

Councilman Guy Phillips said he’s happy to agree with the staff’s suggested allocations.

Councilwoman Suzanne Klapp asked to increase the vulnerable citizens allocation to $3 million, from $2.5 million; and asked for a better definition of the business assistance program.

“What is it that we’re going to be assisting with? There’s an area that we need to have some conversation about how that process is going to work, and what are the reasons we’re going to be giving money to businesses?” Ms. Klapp asked. “There’s got to be criteria. I’m assuming they’ll have to apply. They’ll have to be evaluated. Somehow I think there needs to be a better understanding of how we’re going to spend $6 million.”

Mr. Thompson said the business assistance program is the most challenging section identified.

“We’ve looked at loans, we’ve looked at grants, we’ve looked at utilizing third-party agencies to manage some of those programs. So we have a host of ideas and thoughts, and now we’re seeing which we can do and which we can not because of the gifting clauses and provisions the state constitution and state law that may limit our abilities to provide any direct or indirect funding that doesn’t have a public purpose or value associated with it,” Mr. Thompson said.

Mayor Jim Lane noted he wants to make sure the funds are going to those who really need the money, not just any business.

“Our primary concern is not with the gift clause on the state level and or the city level. In fact these funds are federal tax payers dollars, ultimately the intent is to apply them to those who have been injured or in need or rescue or assistance to make sure they make their way through this,” Mr. Lane said. “Our focus needs to be more on the idea of exactly what we’re doing with the money. I don’t believe this money is really intended for somebody who’s not been affected by it, but that we want to continue a program --- some of the others would be questionable if they haven’t been harmed by the course of this event.

“I only mention this because I know there’s an awful lot of things being considered with the business assistance program --- I think it’s going to be important for us to see this and make sure it’s on that task. If there’s ever going to be a challenge it’s going to be that we use, somehow, city monies to give to a business that wasn’t affected by COVID.”