Beginning October 31, businesses, nonprofits, and other community organizations will have the opportunity to apply for $11.36 million in recovery grants from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
Funds are allocated for four uses. Social service programs and projects; helping local economies and non-profits recover; infrastructure and capital spending; and investing in mitigation and prevention. Community Development Director Cosmas Diamantis said he has a December 2024 deadline for grant awards. The deadline for disbursement of funds is December 2026.
“We have done our best to provide as much flexibility as possible to the services, organizations and businesses operating at Cherry Hill,” said Diamantis. “Nonprofits doing good work every day know their communities and know their needs better than we do.
“So we do our best to structure the program and ask what their needs are, whether the funding is in the current program, (or) perhaps a new program, and how we can help them. It gives us the flexibility to tell them what will help them with the financial loss they have experienced,” he added.
Diamantis’ presentation at the October 11 board meeting showed that there are two main types of grants, including those aimed at recovering from losses experienced during the pandemic. Refunds are sent to businesses, nonprofits, third-party community service providers, and government agencies.
“We’re trying to make these businesses and institutions whole again,” he said.
Another type of funding is a future reinvestment grant to consider future supported projects and programs.
“This is a two-part analysis,” Diamantis explains. “They need to identify affected groups or individuals and design programs that help fund those groups or individuals in the form of services, goods or other assistance…
“To the extent that some of the co-recipients can help serve groups affected by these imbalances, that is another positive and separate consideration.”
Diamantis explained that there will be two rounds of grant funding. The recovery grant application will be available for her on October 31st and will expire on January 31st for the interim he. The township will begin drafting the first round of grant agreements next March. From November through December, he said, the township will hold information sessions to help residents, small businesses, and nonprofits understand the program.
Grants are reviewed regularly. A second application for the reinvestment grant will then be made in 2023.
In other news:
- A public hearing on the City’s budget and Ordinance 2022-5 will be held on October 26.
- Copies of local government budgets are now available at City Hall and online.
- The council has approved the purchase of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant nursing prefabricated pods for township libraries. Provides nursing mothers with a private space for breastfeeding. The pod has a fan system, a pump and a child seat that is fixed and locked.
The next board meeting will be held next Wednesday. The caucus will start at 6:30 pm and the meeting will start at 7:30 he.
