Supervisors reestimate ARPA and nonprofit grants; staff proposes carryforward placeholders

At its Feb. 9 work session, Story County staff reviewed the status of ARPA-funded programs and several nonprofit contracts, recommending partial carryforwards and placeholder amounts to reflect claims already submitted and anticipated reimbursements.

Staff said some contracts have drawn down a large share of allocated funds while others — including United Way childcare, Access, Good Neighbor and Rosedale Shelter — have significant remaining balances that may not be spent by June 30 and therefore should be partially reestimated into FY27. The presenter noted the county will likely place modest placeholders in the draft next-year budget rather than reallocate funds prematurely.

Why it matters: ARPA and related pass-through funds account for programmatic support to local nonprofits and services such as childcare, food distribution and housing stability. Staff described a pragmatic approach to avoid lapsing funds while minimizing midyear budget surprises.

Examples mentioned in the session: staff proposed splitting remaining contract balances roughly 50/50 between the current year and FY27 as a conservative placeholder; Food at First and several other projects had recent claims indicating near-term spending, while others (Rosedale Shelter conversion or building work) may not be complete by November.

Next steps: staff will update the board with specific reestimates and a proposed carryforward schedule at the next meeting; no formal reallocations were made during the session.