The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden on March 11, 2021, is a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package. In this law, state and local governments receive a total of $350 billion in assistance, under the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. The City of Douglas will receive a total of $4.6 million. Several acceptable uses outlined in the bill for ARPA funds include but are not limited to support for public health, addressing COVID-19 Economic Impacts, replacement of lost public sector revenue, providing premium pay for essential workers, and investing in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure for underserved communities.
The City of Douglas values the input of its local citizens and businesses and would like to ask citizens to take advantage of the opportunities for their voices to be heard. The City of Douglas is utilizing a variety of outlets to gather citizen input and has compiled a survey on SurveyMonkey.com to gather input electronically through social media sites, website, and various other outlets. The survey is located on SurveyMonkey’s website at www.surveymonkey.com/r/5XHDVFX as well as the City of Douglas website, www.cityofdouglasga.gov. Paper copies of the survey can be obtained at the City Manager’s Office (316 E. Bryan St.), Customer Service Center (800 S. Peterson Avenue), Community Development Department (211 S. Gaskin Avenue), Douglas Fire Department (306 E. Cherry Street), Douglas Police Department (225 W. Bryan Street), and Parks & Recreation Office (200 S. Madison Ave.), and Douglas Municipal Airport (440 Elton D. Brooks Blvd.) and should be returned to the Community Development Department, 211 S. Gaskin Avenue. At each of these locations, a QR code for the survey can be scanned and taken on mobile devices. The survey will close on Sunday, November 14, 2021.
The City will hold an in-person meeting with citizens of Douglas to discuss options for ARPA funds. A Community Listening Session will be held on November 16, 2021, 6:00p.m. at Central Square Complex – Gymnasium B, located at 200 S. Madison Avenue, for the purpose gathering citizen input concerning the American Rescue Plan Act funds that are allocated for the City of Douglas. All citizens are urged to attend the meeting.
For more information, please call the City Manager’s Office at (912) 389-3401.