Norfolk — Norfolk has access to roughly $26 million in federal money to help the city government respond to the coronavirus pandemic.
But it’s not as simple as turning around and shelling it out. Like many federal payouts, the pandemic assistance has some significant strings attached.
Some of the money already is designated for specific items, such as $1.3 million mainly aimed at homelessness services.
Megan Erwin, who works in Norfolk’s budget office and was deputized to be the city’s coronavirus stimulus coordinator, gave the City Council a rundown last month about where the money’s expected to go.
The largest chunk of funding the city has received — nearly $21.2 million — comes from the CARES Act’s Coronavirus Relief Fund and doesn’t specify how it has to be spent. But some things are out of bounds.
“The biggest caveat is these expenses absolutely cannot be used for revenue replacement,” Erwin told the council last month.
The city has projected that it has lost, and will continue to lose, tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue over the course of the recession. ,City Manager Chip Filer said that has necessitated furloughs or layoffs of some city staff and temporary closings of many city facilities.
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As for what that $21.2 million can be used for: basically any spending directly related to dealing with the public health emergency between March and the end of the year that the city isn’t getting funding for from somewhere else, like a state grant.
That leaves a lot of options still open. Here’s how Norfolk had tentatively decided to divvy up the money:
- $4.7 million in financial assistance for residents, businesses and nonprofits. This will include direct assistance like rent and utility aid for residents, as well as increased public WiFi infrastructure “to help reduce the digital divide,” an issue that has taken on new significance with so many people having to work and learn from home despite not having computers or reliable internet service.
- $5 million to replace what the city’s already spent on the COVID crisis, for things like increased hours for public safety workers.
- $7.5 million for building modifications, IT expenses and mitigation measures related to reopening public buildings, transitioning much of the staff to teleworking and enhancing sanitation of offices that are still open.
- $4 million for a hazardous duty pay plan, primarily to give a temporary pay bump to public-facing employees who can’t socially distance due to the nature of their work.
Two council members, Paul Riddick and Angelia Williams Graves, expressed a desire to include sanitation workers in the hazard pay program. Erwin said at the time they were still figuring out who would be included.
Erwin said at the meeting in June that the city was working through details on what those programs would look like and wanted the process to be “fair, transparent and equitable.”
A city spokeswoman, Lori Crouch, said no one would talk about the issue on the record until after council members are briefed again July 14.
The council is expected to vote on a detailed plan to authorize the spending of the stimulus money.
Ryan Murphy, 757-739-8582, ryan.murphy@pilotonline.com