$1.6 Million in Cody COVID-19 Expenses To Be Reimbursed
Written by Andrew-Rossi on September 16, 2020
The City of Cody has been allocated a grant of $1.6 million dollars – the maximum amount possible – to cover COVID-19 related expenses.
The State of Wyoming received over a billion dollars in federal CARES Act funding from the federal government. Approximately $150 million dollars of that allocation was set aside for state governments, under the oversight of the State Lands and Investments Board.
In order to receive a cut of the CARES Act funds, Wyoming cities needed to submit an application outlying and justifying the funding, including quotes, bids, and any other federal purchasing requirements.
Barry Cook, the City Administrator, submitted an application to the Board requesting $2.6 million dollars. The amount received was the maximum amount that could be allocated to any municipality.
Cook is celebratory, saying the city’s application was “very successful” in obtaining the federal funding.
It was so successful, in fact, that he received a call from the City of Cheyenne to go over the specifics of the application and how Cody was able to get the full amount available.
Several cities have had trouble getting full funding for COVID-related expenses. Cody officials looked at applications submitted by Jackson and Douglas to ensure our application was as thorough and comprehensive as possible.
Now that the money has been successfully received, Cook has identified three areas where expenses could be incurred and will be reimbursed:
- Payroll expenses – COVID-19 meetings, Human Resources responses, administrative leave, Family First Aid Act – totaling $1.1 million dollars
- Technology – Computers & tablets, software upgrades, data terminals for the Cody Police Department, credit card readers, remote meeting equipment – totaling $442 thousand dollars
- Sanitization equipment totaling $45 thousand dollars
The specific total is $1,662,780.
The catch is this total amount must be spent before the end of the year. The funds will not cover any expenses incurred in 2021.
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