This week's Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) News and Views e-newsletter shares a new public act of interest to counties, provides information about a federal bipartisan infrastructure proposal, offers the U.S. Treasury's updated "FAQ" for State and Local Fiscal and Recovery Funds along with a link to ISACo's website where this FAQ and related information is compiled and regularly updated, announces the availability of $150,000 in grants to support local broadband planning and implementation, presents the Fitch Ratings upgrade to the outlook for Illinois' General Obligation Bonds, announces that the Pritzker Administration has received 70,000 complete applications for Rental Relief Funding, shares information on upcoming National Association of Counties (NACo) webinars, spotlights ISACo's corporate partner AT&T and invites counties to join ISACo.
New Public Act of Interest to Counties
P.A. 102-0024 - Local Government Fee Waiver Authority
President Biden Announces Support for Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan
On June 24, 2021, President Biden announced support for a $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework to fund investments in roads, bridges, water and broadband internet. The tentative agreement appeared to unravel when the President insisted on linking the plan to other spending priorities in a "both or nothing" gambit. This linkage was eventually abandoned, presumably paving the way for the infrastructure plan to advance.
Click on this link to learn more about this bipartisan agreement and framework.
Treasury Releases Updated "FAQ" for State and Local Fiscal and Recovery Funds
The U.S. Department of the Treasury issued an updated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document on Thursday, June 24, 2021. This and other information about appropriate utilization of the State and Local Fiscal and Recovery Funds are being compiled on ISACo's website.
The State of Illinois and Philanthropic Partners Announce $150,000 in Grants to Support Local Broadband Planning and Implementation
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Office of Broadband announced its second cohort of the Illinois Connected Communities grant program created to assist some of the most underserved areas of the state with building broadband capacity. Through a unique cross-sector collaboration, participating communities will have the opportunity to embark on a 12-month program to help them complete a community-driven, broadband strategic plan. To help communities improve broadband access and utilization, the State and its partners are providing up to $15,000 in state-funded small grants, access to best-practice curriculum, and more than 50 hours of consultation and community planning facilitation.
Click on this link to see the full press release.
Fitch Ratings Upgrade State's Outlook
On Wednesday, June 23, 2021, Fitch Rating revised the outlook on Illinois' General Obligation Bonds from negative to positive.
With this action, Illinois' GO bond rating moves from BBB- with a negative outlook to BBB- with a positive outlook. Fitch is the third rating agency to upgrade the state's outlook.
Click on this link to view the full press release.
Click on this link to view Fitch's full analysis.
Pritzker Administration Receives 70,000 Complete Applications for Rental Relief Funding in Four Weeks
Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) announced that the Illinois Rental Payment Program (ILRPP) has paid out $70 million to landlords on tenants’ behalf in 87 counties as the Authority reviews the nearly 70,000 applications it has received for rental assistance. An additional $17 million has been approved and is in the process of being paid out with hundreds of millions of additional dollars expected to be sent out the door in the coming weeks in response to applications totaling $664 million in requests for assistance for past due and future rent payments. IHDA is continuing to review applications as quickly as possible and is prioritizing requests for tenants who are unemployed and those with very low household incomes.
To further assist renters affected by the pandemic, tenants will be able to apply for ILRPP assistance directly and invite their landlord to participate in the program beginning June 28, 2021. Tenants will also be provided a pathway to complete their application should they have unresponsive landlords. Tenants will have until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, July 18, 2021, to complete their portion of the application at ILRPP.IHDA.org.
Click on this link for the full press release.
Upcoming NACo Webinars
NACo has announced the following upcoming webinar opportunities:
Understanding Eligible Uses of the Fiscal Recovery Fund: Public Health Response
(Tuesday, June 29, 2021, 1:00pm-2:00pm CST)
As counties determine how to invest their ARP State and Local Fiscal and Recovery Funds to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, NACo is hosting a series of information sessions digging into the various eligible uses outlined in Treasury’s Interim Final Rule (IFR) for the program. This session will focus on how counties can invest Recovery Funds to address a broad range of public health needs across COVID-19 mitigation, medical expenses, behavioral healthcare and public health resources. NACo members will also have the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback on Treasury’s IFR.
Click on this link to register for this event.
ARP State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund Update: Treasury Compliance and Reporting Requirements
(Wednesday, June 30, 2021, 12:00pm-1:00pm CST)
The U.S. Department of Treasury recently released reporting and compliance guidance for the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. The Recovery Funds, authorized under the American Rescue Plan Act, provides $65.1 billion in direct and flexible aid to every county in America as well as offers opportunities for crucial investments in local communities. Join NACo for a webinar where participants will hear an overview of the new reporting guidelines and how counties can ensure they are complying with these new guidelines.
Click on this link to register for this event.
The Secrets to Making Agency-Wide DevSecOps a Reality for Your Organization
(Wednesday, June 30, 2021, 1:00pm-2:00pm CST)
Continuous improvement is important for any agency. DevSecOps is another way to describe the concept of constant learning to maximize your team’s productivity. Various tools can support DevSecOps initiatives to enable increased visibility, build trust within your teams and encourage consistent feedback. Learn from Rich Schliep, Chief Technology Officer from the Colorado Secretary of State, an expert in DevSecOps on how to utilize these tools to track issues in real-time, update change management, increase team collaboration, and plan for all your agency’s future projects.
Click on this link to register for this event.
Corporate Sponsor Spotlight
This week's corporate partner spotlight highlights ISACo's partnership with AT&T.
AT&T Inc. is a modern media company whose mission is to inspire human progress through the power of communication and entertainment.
The company brings together premium video content, a large base of direct-to-consumer relationships, high-speed networks optimized for video and advertising technology to lead the next revolution in technology, media and telecommunications.
More information about the services provided by AT&T is available via this link.
Click on this link to learn more about the benefits and opportunities available through ISACo's Corporate Partner Program.
Become an ISACo Member!
Is your county a member of ISACo? If not, why not?
ISACo is a statewide association whose mission is to empower county officials to provide excellent service to their residents.
ISACo member counties are comprised of forward-thinking public servants who recognize that the challenges confronting county governments require new and innovative ideas, collaborative solutions and collective advocacy at the state and federal levels of government.
Members of the association will benefit from education and training opportunities, peer-to-peer networking, shared resources and robust representation before policymakers at various levels of government. ISACo creates and connects county officials to these opportunities and successfully equips them to make counties ideal places to live, work and play.
If your county is interested in discussing membership in ISACo, please contact Executive Director Joe McCoy at (217) 679-3368 or jmccoy@isacoil.org. ISACo member counties are listed here. Thank you for your consideration.