Fort Smith allocates $335,682 of CARES Act funding to nonprofit groups

FORT SMITH -- The city is approved to allocate $335,682 in CARES Act money among three nonprofit organizations within its boundaries.

The city Board of Directors on Tuesday voted 5-1 to approve the appropriations to Crawford Sebastian Community Development Council, Next Step Day Room and The Arc for the River Valley. The board approved the appropriations after discussion over more than half of Next Step Day Room's money, unprogrammed money in the package and rental assistance in light of the expired Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eviction moratorium.

The money is allocated from the third round of CARES Act money given to the city, City Administrator Carl Geffken said. The CARES Act was passed by Congress in 2020 to appropriate money throughout the country for aid, relief and economic security due to the effects of covid-19.

Ward 4 city director George Catsavis voted against the ordinance. At-large city director Robyn Dawson was absent.

Each of the nonprofit groups requested the money in projects that "meet the needs identified by Fort Smith citizens" in an assessment needs survey completed in May 2020. They were scored by an ad hoc committee of four city residents on experience and capacity, objective, impact, outcomes, budget and timeliness, according to a memo from Geffken to the board.

According to the memo, the following amounts will be given to the organizations:

• Next Step Day Room will be given $235,000 between $156,326 from a canceled housing project at the Riverview Hope Campus and $78,674 from the money dispersed to itself and the other nonprofit groups. The money will be used for two new transitional family homes.

• Community Development Council will be given $46,628 for ultraviolet filtration for air and upgrades to the front lobby for remote conversation.

• The Arc for the River Valley will be given $54,054 for an anti-viral air filtration system, social room, covid-19 advocacy and social distancing outdoor project.

Community Development Coordinator Candyce Gabucci said there was an attempt to roll the Hope Campus' money back into the third round of CARES Act funding so they could come back for more. She said the money was not sufficient for the housing project.

Gabucci said she expects Hope Campus officials to eventually come back for $207,066 of unprogrammed money.

At-large city director Neal Martin asked if any of the money should go to rental assistance for residents who need it at this time. The CDC's eviction moratorium for renters struggling during covid-19 expired Saturday.

Gabucci said Community Development Council is currently helping residents in Fort Smith and the surrounding communities with rental assistance. She said money is still available for renters through its program.

Max Bryan can be reached by email at [email protected].