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Kansas Office of Recovery





December 2, 2022






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This week’s edition of the Office of Recovery Newsletter features information about a funding opportunity for certain counties in Kansas. The US Department of Treasury recently released information about American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund (LATCF) [ [link removed]. ] payments. Approximately 50 counties in Kansas are eligible for funding through this program. These counties can register for a webinar hosted by the Kansas Association of Counties (KAC), the National Association of Counties (NACo) and the Kansas Office of Recovery (RO) that will provide information about these payments and how to claim them.

Also included is information about the federal Internet for All initiative and how Kansas residents can be involved in the program. Reporting your local access to broadband to the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) will ensure that Kansas gets an accurate amount of funding to improve access to broadband across the state. Learn more about this process below.

For the latest Treasury updates and information about resources available to Kansans, see the “Updates to Services and Support” section of this newsletter. For the most up-to-date information, please visit the Office of Recovery website at: COVID.ks.gov  [ [link removed] ]

 

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Federal Funding for Local Governments
Treasury

 

*Federal Funding Available for Several Kansas Counties*

On September 29, the U.S. Department of the Treasury began releasing the first round of Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund (LATCF) payments, providing $1.5 billion to 2,086 “eligible revenue sharing counties” under the American Rescue Plan Act. These are predominantly counties with federal public lands.  

Treasury has already determined the amount of funding each eligible county will receive. The distribution formula reflects the original intent of the LATCF to support counties with federal lands within their jurisdiction. A total of 2,086 local governments, which includes approximately 50 counties in Kansas, are considered eligible revenue sharing counties under the LATCF formula. Click here [ [link removed] ] to see the full list of eligible recipients.* *

Each eligible county must apply to claim the funding allocated to them. Treasury’s online portal [ [link removed] ] provides application instructions and information on specific [ [link removed] ]funding levels [ [link removed] ] for each eligible county.  

The Kansas Association of Counties (KAC), the National Association of Counties (NACo) and the Kansas Office of Recovery (RO) have planned a webinar that will discuss LATCF funding available to eligible Kansas Counties and answer any questions that you may have.

The webinar will be held on Thursday, December 8, 2022, at 2 p.m. Register in advance for this meeting by following this link: Webinar Registration [ [link removed] ].

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

*The deadline for counties to apply for its LATCF payments through the Treasury’s online portal is January 31, 2023.  Should a county miss the application deadline, it will not be eligible for any LATCF payments.* 

For more information on eligibility of counties, eligible uses of funds and reporting requirements please visit this treasury webpage: Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund [ [link removed] ].

 

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Broadband Development in Kansas
SPARK

 

*Report Local Broadband Availability to Ensure Funding For Kansas*

Through the federal Internet for All initiative, there are opportunities for all U.S. states to receive funding to improve broadband access. One program included in this initiative, the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, provides $42 billion to states to expand high-speed internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment and adoption programs nationwide. 

Funds will be allocated to states according to a formula derived from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Broadband Map data [ [link removed] ]. These maps provide a picture of where broadband is and is not available across the country.

This map from the FCC will determine how much BEAD funding Kansas receives. Currently the FCC shows Kansas at 5% unserved, but data shows it is likely closer to 15% unserved. That difference will have a direct negative impact on the dollars the state will receive. 

To ensure that the maps are constantly improving in accuracy, the FCC has set up a system that allows consumers to challenge inaccuracies and provide feedback. Individuals who see that the information on the maps does not match up with what they know from their lived experience will be able to submit challenges, or request corrections, directly through the map interface. The FCC will also accept bulk challenges to the reported availability data from state, Tribal, and local governments and other stakeholders who see problems that need corrected in multiple locations. 

To learn more about how the broadband map works and who is eligible to submit a challenge, please review this document: FCC Challenge Handout [ [link removed] ].

The Kansas Office of Broadband Development has provided a step-by-step infographic [ [link removed] ] and the FCC created a video tutorial [ [link removed] ] that detail the process of reviewing and submitting a challenge to the Broadband Map data.

All challenges should be submitted by January 13, 2023, to ensure that they are considered to inform funding allocations. 

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Updates to Services and Support
Services and Support
 

*Treasury Releases SLFRF Dashboard*

The US Department of Treasury recently released a State Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) dashboard [ [link removed] ] that details how state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments have used American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to stabilize their budgets, respond to the pandemic, and invest in their communities.

Treasury will continue to update this dashboard as recipients submit reporting data. The dashboard is currently updated through June 30, 2022.

You can find more information about SLFRF dollars, eligible uses of funding and reporting and compliance guidelines at this link: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds [ [link removed] ].

 

*COVID-19 Retail Storefront Property Tax Relief Funding Is Still Available*

In June 2022, bipartisan House Bill 2136 was signed into law, investing $50 million to help small businesses recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 Retail Storefront Property Tax Relief Program is still available to provide financial assistance to certain businesses impacted by COVID-19 related shutdowns and restrictions during tax years 2020 and 2021.   

The COVID-19 Retail Storefront Property Tax Relief Program is funded through the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which requires a federal Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) to be completed for a business to be eligible to receive assistance. 

The UEI is issued at no cost through the federal System for Award Management website, SAM.gov.  

Due to recent increases in the number of entities registering with SAM.gov [ [link removed] ], it may take up to 25 business days for new registrations to be processed. 

For any issues related to registering with SAM.gov or obtaining a UEI, applicants can contact the Federal Service Desk at 866-606-8220.  

Once registration is complete and confirmed, business owners can apply for the COVID-19 Retail Storefront Property Tax Relief Program through an online application [ [link removed] ] created by KDOR. The application provides definitions, explains the assistance process in detail, and specifies exactly what information must be provided and/or submitted in support of the application. 

Applicants with questions regarding the COVID-19 Retail Storefront Property Tax Relief Program can contact the Kansas Department of Revenue at 785-368-8660.   

Small business owners have until April 15, 2023, to apply for this financial assistance.

 






Contact the RO

The Office of Recovery is here to offer support and coordination.  Questions and inquiries may be submitted via the Contact Us [ [link removed] ] form. Please visit covid.ks.gov [ [link removed] ] for up-to-date information and resources on recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic for Kansas residents, businesses, and communities.

*Question/Request Form* [ [link removed] ]


*DeAngela Burns-Wallace, Ed.D.*

Secretary, Kansas Department of Administration

On behalf of the Office of Recovery,

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly

*Join Our Mailing List* [ [link removed] ]







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