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11 <br /> 1 Commissioner Dorosin said his amendment is to reduce funding to the Chapel Hill <br /> 2 Library by the same percentage as the Orange County Library. He said given the dollar amount <br /> 3 the percentage cut would save, he suggested even doubling the percentage decrease. <br /> 4 Chair Price said she agrees with at least making the reduction equal with the Orange <br /> 5 County library cut. <br /> 6 Commissioner Hamilton recommended sharing the ARPA money with the schools. She <br /> 7 said the budget is focused on the most vulnerable, and providing a safety net, and schools do <br /> 8 this. She said the effects of pandemic will not be going away anytime soon. She said the <br /> 9 schools are receiving some direct federal money, but schools also provide social safety nets for <br /> 10 the most vulnerable students, and the County should share ARPA money for technology, Social <br /> 11 Emotional Learning, mental health, and other permissible school uses. She said this is an <br /> 12 investment in children today, and to hopefully diminish their future reliance on social safety nets. <br /> 13 She said she is aware that this is one time funding, and hopes it would be stretched out over the <br /> 14 time the County has the funds and will not be needed permanently. She said if the money is <br /> 15 needed in the future, she hopes the BOCC will find the funds past the time ARPA is available. <br /> 16 Commissioner Dorosin asked who is responsible for ensuring that money provided by <br /> 17 the County to another entity is used for something permissible under ARPA guidelines. <br /> 18 Bonnie Hammersley said the County can enter into an inter-local agreement with the <br /> 19 entity agreeing to comply with the regulations of the funding and report uses back to the County <br /> 20 to account for that. She said the language in Commissioner Hamilton's amendment is verbatim <br /> 21 from the permissible use guidance. <br /> 22 Commissioner Dorosin asked if ARPA money would be treated differently than the other <br /> 23 money in the budget that goes to the schools. <br /> 24 Bonnie Hammersley said yes, this money would be given outside of current expenses. <br /> 25 Commissioner Fowler asked if ARPA money could be used for expansion needs related <br /> 26 to mental health in the schools requested budget. <br /> 27 Bonnie Hammersley said yes. <br /> 28 Chair Price asked if this money is given to schools, would the language have to be <br /> 29 specific in the contract as to the actual items the money is used for. <br /> 30 Bonnie Hammersley said that would be ideal, and would be her recommendation. She <br /> 31 said there will be specifics as to what the money would be used for, like the Capital Budget for <br /> 32 the schools. <br /> 33 Commissioner Dorosin said he agrees with that, and would not want to approve it <br /> 34 without clear guidelines and reporting on results. <br /> 35 Commissioner Hamilton agreed having accountability and tracking is important. <br /> 36 Commissioner McKee asked for County staff or schools to provide an exact accounting <br /> 37 of all the federal funding received by schools to date. <br /> 38 Bonnie Hammersley said she would provide that information to all of the Commissioners. <br /> 39 <br /> 40 <br />