MAC answers questions on COVID aid requests, responses
Several counties have reached out to MAC in recent days seeking clarification and guidance on the reporting required for financial aid for COVID-19 response.
Please see the questions and answers developed by Governmental Affairs Director Deena Bosworth below:
Q: What would qualify as a program outcome under the CRLGG Program certification document?
A: At the end of the grant, Treasury will want to know if the objectives you sought to achieve by spending this grant the way you did were achieved. Because of this, Treasury is setting you up to be able to answer this easily when the time comes. The question is basically: How does it help your citizens and/or your county? For example, if you are buying PPE for the safety of your residents and employees, then minimizing the spread of the virus is the outcome. If you are planning on utilizing these funds to cover public safety payroll for however long, then you are utilizing these funds to provide additional safety to workers and the public by ensuring public adherence to the safety directives established by the State and local public health department.
Q: Please advise on reporting deadlines.
A: Treasury is requesting information on a quarterly basis because they have to report to the federal government on a quarterly basis. Although you have eligible expenditures dating back to March, they want reports based on each quarter. As you will see from reports they send you, reporting is now requested for July 1-Sept. 30. The next report will cover Oct. 1-Dec. 31. At the end, you will have a clean-up report (MAC’s term) that will cover March through December. So, for your eligible expenses from March through June, those will be reported at the end.
Q: Please advise on hazard pay notifications.
A: If you gave Treasury the appropriate employees (not administrative but first responders), then you will get all that you applied for. There is plenty of money left in that program, so the only denials were for ineligible expenses. As far as the payment goes, only those that specifically requested an advanced payment of the grant will see the money in their account next Tuesday (Sept. 22). For those that did not request an advanced payment, Treasury has until Nov. 14 to get those payment to you. It’s unlikely they will wait that long, though.
Also, remember that Treasury is maintaining a special page on its website to collect all financial information regarding local governments and COVID response.
And MAC continues to partner with Treasury on webinars to explain procedures and answer questions. The most recent webinar can be viewed here
