Thursday April 17, 2025

 

Hello from the ULCT Mid-Year Conference! If you have not already, reach out to me if you would like to meet here in sunny St. George. Be sure to catch the Tales from the Trail: Local Administrative Advisors Making a Difference breakout session today, April 17, at 11:40 a.m. in the Sunbrook C room. I will be highlighting a few of the exciting accomplishments from across our region during this panel discussion.


Below are two very important upcoming deadlines to be aware of. If you need assistance completing either of these submissions, reach out to me as soon as possible.


American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) 2025 Final Report

The 2025 ARPA report is the last opportunity for all municipalities to come into compliance with the Treasury's reporting requirements for receiving ARPA funding. All communities are required to submit a 2025 report by April 30, 2025. Municipalities that fail to report obligated and expended funds by April 30 will receive a request from the Treasury to pay back their ARPA allocation. Even if you have already reported all funds obligated, a 2025 final report is still required and municipalities must confirm all funds were properly obligated.


Unified Water Infrastructure Plan Project Database

The Unified Water Infrastructure Plan (UWIP), administered by the Utah Division of Water Resources and the Water Development Coordinating Council, is a comprehensive prioritized list of water infrastructure projects that may require future state financial assistance. The list of projects submitted by municipalities is intended to help the council determine where state funds may be allocated. All water infrastructure entities that would like to receive consideration for future state funding for water projects, including LAA cities and towns that operate municipal water systems, need to submit their projects to the UWIP Project Portal by May 9, 2025.



Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation's Outdoor Recreational Planning Assistance Program (ORPA) - Due May 7

ORPA is now accepting applications to fund planning assistance, stakeholder engagement, feasibility studies, and more. This program is intended to help build capacity at the local level through engaging consulting services for projects relating to recreation. View the program guide, eligibility requirements, and the online application here.


USDA Rural Development (USDA RD) SEARCH Grant and Water/Wastewater Planning Grant

USDA RD is accepting applications on a rolling basis for two funding opportunities aimed at improving water and wastewater facilities in municipalities. The SEARCH Grant helps small (<2500 population) financially-distressed rural communities pay for predevelopment feasibility studies, design, and technical assistance for proposed water and waste disposal projects. The Water and Waste Disposal Predevelopment Planning Grant offers the same planning assistance but is available for communities less than 10,000 in population.


 


2025 American Planning Association (APA) Utah Spring Conference - May 7-9

The annual Spring Conference of APA Utah will be held in Cache Valley from May 7 to 9, 2025, at the Riverwoods Conference Center in Logan. Registration details can be found here.


National League of Cities (NLC) Healthy Housing Lab Webinar - April 23 12:00 p.m.

NLC's Health Housing Lab is hosting an upcoming webinar to help municipalities develop a healthy housing program and enhance their healthy housing initiatives. Register for the upcoming webinar on April 23 here.


Social Media Savvy - GRAMA & Open Meeting Law Considerations for Municipal Social Media

Curious about the benefits and potential risks of running your city or town’s Facebook, Instagram, or other social media platforms? I offer in-depth training for staff and elected officials on how to effectively manage municipal social media while staying compliant with GRAMA and Open Meeting Law. Reach out to me to schedule an in-person or Zoom social media training for your entity.


If you need to schedule time to meet with me and would like to view my availability, click here to use my Google Calendar scheduling link.


Sincerely,

Madison Aviles

Local Administrative Advisor

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