This program provides grant funding to nonprofits and other local partners who serve the community’s most vulnerable residents. The City has long provided grant funding to local nonprofits and community partners. These organizations have the expertise and experience to best serve residents in need. The additional ARPA funding for this work increased capacity for social services programs throughout Fort Collins.

In 2024, nine organizations were awarded funding though the Social Services Recovery program:

• Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County – behavioral health support for youth
• CARE Communities (CARE Housing) – housing stability program
• Crossroads Safehouse – domestic violence high-risk team implementation
• Disabled Resource Services – disability services for independence
• Food Bank of Larimer County – mobile food pantry at Poudre High School
• Fort Collins Rescue Mission – meals for people experiencing homelessness
• ISAAC of Northern Colorado – crisis funds for high vulnerability immigrant families in recovery
• Neighbor to Neighbor – housing solutions programming
• The Matthews House – Family to Family Program funding

Now that funds have been exhausted, this grant program will not continue.

This position manages the application process along with all required reporting and compliance of grant programs within the Social Sustainability Department, including the Social Services Recovery Program, Learning Loss Mitigation Program, Childcare System Support Program and Homelessness Services Grants.  In 2024, the position managed more than two dozen ARPA-funded grants.   

 This contractual position is estimated to end in May 2025. Moving forward, grants will be managed by other Social Sustainability Department staff.

Funds to purchase electric handheld lawn and garden equipment for use in parks and cemeteries. Unlike gas-powered equipment, electric lawn and garden equipment has no direct emissions, helping improve air quality for community members and staff. Some ARPA funds also covered electrical upgrades at the Fossil Creek Maintenance Facility, which were needed to charge the new equipment.

The ARPA funds for this program have been instrumental for conversion to electric equipment, allowing the City to seamlessly comply with the State of Colorado’s Regulation 29, which bars the use of gas-powered handheld and push equipment between June and August, beginning in 2025.

In 2023 and 2024, ARPA funds were used as a local match to secure equipment conversion grants from the Regional Air Quality Council. This grant and the ARPA dollars have elevated Parks’ equipment conversion percentage from 56% to 89%!

This program will continue with funding approved in the 2025-2026 Adopted Budget. Staff will also continue to pursue grant opportunities that support conversion efforts.

The City’s Mental Health Response Team (MHRT) is an innovative co-response team consisting of Fort Collins police officers and UCHealth clinicians. The team works together to provide critical care to those experiencing mental and/or behavioral health issues before, during, and after crisis calls. ARPA funds were used to accelerate build-out of the team.

Mental and behavioral health has been deeply impacted by the pandemic, exacerbating pre-existing gaps and stretching limited resources. By accelerating the buildout of this team with ARPA funds, MHRT was able to more quickly expand support to community members in need of critical assistance for mental and/or behavioral health challenges.

As of January 2023, staffing costs for this team transitioned to be funded with General Fund dollars, however ARPA funding continued to cover programmatic costs such as training, outreach and equipment into Q3 2024.

More Information about this Team

The pandemic exacerbated mental and behavioral health issues, stretching already under-resourced programs. It also highlighted gaps in available resources and the lack of pathways to access resources. The projects funded under this program seek to reduce those barriers.

Competency Evaluation: Funding covered the cost of competency evaluations for City Municipal Court clients. To date, more than four dozen evaluations have been performed, in some cases leading to charge dismissal. 

Restorative Traffic Circle: Teens and young adults (aged 20 and under) who have serious traffic infractions and misdemeanors can deal with their charges in a more meaningful way through the Restorative Traffic Circle program. Participants work with court staff, first responders, family members and community members to learn about the impact of unsafe driving and are encouraged to adopt safer driving behaviors. If participants successfully complete the program, their original charge(s) is (are) dismissed. Of graduates, the majority have not received a new traffic violation since program completion.

This program will continue with funding in the 2025-2026 Adopted Budget.

The Cultural Services Access Fund provides qualifying community members access to enriching art and cultural experiences at City of Fort Collins cultural facilities including The Lincoln Center, Fort Collins Museum of Discovery and The Gardens on Spring Creek. Specifically funded programs include free field trips for Title 1 schools (including field trip transportation costs), free performances at facilities, camp scholarships and free facility use. Feedback from the program has been positive. Students and teachers from local schools appreciate how the program increases access to cultural programming, which many students would not otherwise experience.  Funds have also allowed each facility to become more welcoming to Spanish-speaking visitors through the translation of signage.

Historically, this program has been funded by contributions from nonprofit partners, grants and limited City funds. ARPA funding significantly expanded the program, allowing additional community members to access Cultural Facilities. In 2022 an additional $185,000 in ARPA funds were allocated to the program and an additional $300,000 of ARPA funds were allocated in the 2023-2024 Budget to continue this increased level of programming and access.

This program will continue at a reduced rate with $150,000 approved in the 2025-2026 Adopted Budget.

The Reduced Fee Scholarship program provides low-income, vulnerable and underserved community members access to recreation facilities, recreation programs and childcare services. This program lowers barriers and expands opportunities for all members of the Fort Collins community to participate in recreation programming and experience the benefit such programming has on physical and mental health.  

Funding for this program comes from ARPA dollars, other recreation funds and philanthropic donations. Demand for this program far exceeds funding annually, so the increased financial support from ARPA was critical for serving additional community members during and following the pandemic.

More Information About this Program

TecGen gear is reusable PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) that protects firefighters from exposure to bodily fluids, chemicals, COVID-19 variants, and other illnesses. This gear is more durable than the plastic gowns used on COVID-19 related calls in 2020 and 2021. It allows first responders to do their job more safely while on emergency calls. Funding this upgraded gear with ARPA dollars meant first responders were equipped with better gear faster.  

Future gear replacements, including gear for volunteer firefighters will be funded with non-ARPA funds.

NOTE: This program also ties closely to the theme of Economic Recovery, which includes the outcome “small businesses, creatives and nonprofits have the resources they need to thrive.”

Art to Live provided grants to local creatives (artists, designers, musicians, etc.), significantly impacted by the pandemic. The goal of the program was to financially support and foster local working artists. As a part of the grant requirements, artists offered free opportunities for community members to experience their art (free performances, free exhibits, First Friday Art Walk events, etc.). These opportunities reached an estimated 8,500 community members.

Feedback from this program has been incredibly positive. Recipients indicated that funds allowed them to continue working on their artistic endeavors and often allowed them to explore new mediums or test out the marketability of their work. Several musicians who received grants were able to record albums and share their music with a larger audience.

Learn More About this Program

This program integrates arts and culture experiences into the Fort Collins community by activating unconventional public spaces.  It also supports the local creative sector by engaging artists from varied social, socioeconomic, and ethnic identities and communities. The following approaches are used by the program:

• Pop-Up performances: Artists and creatives pop-up in public spaces such as along trails, in parks or within neighborhoods. Examples: Art at the Stops Pop-ups, Wearable Wonders Pop-ups
• Supporting events: Support for events planned by nonprofits and other community groups whose event aligns with the Cultural Community Program’s mission. Examples: Pride Month celebration with local drag performers, compensating artists performing during the Latiné and Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration at the Gardens on Spring Creek. 
• Co-Creation: Working alongside community members and artists to co-create initiatives that meet program goals. Example: Our Animal Body, a collaborative community poetry project led by a community-based artist team.
• Curation: The program highlights the diversity of creative people and artistic disciplines in the local community.

Through this program, artists have not only connected with residents, but also with each other, helping create a sense of belonging and community. Many times, participating in programming has been a “spark” that leads to additional work and collaboration. A local dance studio attributes much of their growth to involvement in the program - and a partnership has formed between local artists and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County to provide arts programming for club youth.

In addition to ARPA funds, this program received $55K grant funds from the Bohemian Foundation ($25K in 2023, $30K in 2024). Funds were used for music-centered programming.

The Cultural Community Programs manager position and programming will continue after ARPA funding is exhausted with funds approved in the 2025-2026 Adopted Budget.

Learn More About this Program

This program provided grants to organizations hosting local events to help cover safety and security costs.  Many events rely on funding generated from a previous year’s event to fund subsequent years. This model was disrupted by event cancellations during the pandemic, leaving many event promoters struggling to hold events.

Events – be it a marathon, music festival, craft fair or community celebration – are a vital part of the culture of Fort Collins, helping create a more vibrant community. Subsidizing costs of required safety and security measures through this grant enables them to be held.

Funds from this program were also used to help purchase vehicle intrusion barricades to use for permitted special events. These barricades are important for safety and security, especially at larger events.

This program is complete, and all funding has been spent.

This program works directly with the Fort Collins Native community and local Native-serving nonprofits to build relationships, conduct community engagement and support community-led initiatives.

The Native community has historically been underserved and was also disproportionally impacted by the pandemic. The primary goal of the program is to build strong relationships with Native community members to address impacts from the pandemic and issues impacting the local Native community.  

Dedicated funding for this work was critical for building relationships with the Native community. Collaboration with the local Native community has increased and trust is being built.

This program does not have funding in the 2025-2026 Budget. The contractual Native American Community Relations Specialist position is scheduled to end in 2025. The newly formed First Peoples Community Center plans to provide space for Native cultural gatherings. Future Tribal consultation will be paid for by City departments, and include collaboration with the Equity & Inclusion Office, along with partners such as the Museum of Discovery, Colorado State University, and local nonprofit Trees, Water & People.

The Equity Grant Fund provided funding to local individuals, nonprofits and community partners to support community-led work assisting those especially impacted by the pandemic, including youth, older adults, LGBTQIA+ individuals, veterans and other historically underserved groups.

42 grants were awarded since the program launched in 2023. Funded initiatives include:

• Bilingual navigation programming for immigrants at Alianza Norco.
• Subsidized rent for local community organizations at United Way of Larimer County Community Impact Center.
• Yarrow Collective youth Seed Circles and Xinachtli programming.
• Increased staffing support at Vindeket Foods.
• Support for Fuerza Latina programming including Community Empowerment Clinics.
• Neighbor to Neighbor housing assistance program.
• ISAAC Adelante Youth Fellowship Program expansion.
• Expanded programming and equipment giveaways through Launch: Community Through Skateboarding. 

This program created and strengthened relationships with many local organizations, some of whom had never closely worked with the City before. Staff were able to connect them to City resources and other community partners working in similar spaces. For example, staff was able to connect one recipient, the NoCo Latino Chamber of Commerce, to the City’s Multicultural Business and Entrepreneur Center, Larimer County Extension Office, Larimer County Workforce Center and NOCOBiz Connect. These groups are now aligning and collaborating.

There are currently no plans to continue this program now that funding has been utilized.

This program provided funding for Spanish interpretation at City Council meetings and high-priority civic engagement events, increasing the City’s ability to provide consistent language access services. These efforts help create more inclusive and equitable community engagement.

Funding for this program is fully spent, but the city continues to provide Spanish interpretation and remains committed to engaging with Hispanic/Latinx community members. To help foster this effort, the Equity and Inclusion Office formed a group called Community Connectors, made up of Spanish-speaking community leaders. This group regularly engages with staff and councilmembers to discuss and learn about City policies and programs, providing valuable feedback and perspective.

Funding to expand, systematize and enhance engagement with diverse groups, including those who have been historically underserved and most impacted by the pandemic.

Staff and consultants worked with local community partners to create and vet an updated guide for community engagement. This “Practical Guide to Inclusive Public Engagement” benefits staff by providing clear guidance and tools to conduct effective, equitable engagement that aligns with project goals and avoids resource waste. The guide also means community members will benefit from more inclusive and accessible participation with local government.

The City's updated Public Engagement Guidelines are now available to staff via SharePoint, accompanied by additional

resources like project plan templates, worksheets and inclusive engagement guidance. A citywide public engagement assessment is scheduled for 2025 (funded with non-ARPA dollars). This assessment will build upon work that has already been completed. 

ARPA funds also supported the development of a Language Access Guide. This guide provides best practices and guidelines for when material should be translated into other languages vs. being available in other languages upon request. The guide is currently being reviewed by the Equity and Inclusion Office before rollout to the City organization.  

The City has used ARPA dollars to fund a variety of different programming related to homelessness. This additional funding helped slow the growth of homelessness in Fort Collins during the pandemic, in contrast to many communities across the nation.  It continues to provide critical support to those experiencing homelessness locally, providing shelter, resource and housing navigation, and other core services.

The majority of funding was granted to nonprofits and community partners who provide services and programming directly to people experiencing homelessness. Specific initiatives funded include:

• Expansion of Outreach Fort Collins to include street outreach coverage of midtown and north Fort Collins.
• Increased Case Management and Resource Navigation to connect individuals with crucial resources and services, including housing.
• 24/7 Sheltering: Access to 24/7 shelter provides better outcomes for people experiencing homelessness because of increased stability due to daytime shelter access.
• Expanded Seasonal Overflow Shelter to support more individuals during extreme weather.
• Rapid Rehousing Programming: Short-term rental assistance and services so people can obtain housing quickly and increase self-sufficiency.
• Murphy Center: Funding to support expanded hours and general operations to increase access to core services.

Homelessness services programming will continue to be funded in 2025 and 2026, at a reduced rate compared to the previous several years (when funded with ARPA). $2 million has been allocated to homelessness services programming in the 2025-2026 Adopted Budget. Funds include General Fund dollars and approximately $200,000 in ARPA funds.

More about the City's efforts to combat homelessness

This program contributes to housing stability for local individuals and families through eviction prevention education and support. The majority of funds went directly to local community partners who specialize in this work. This program supports both renters and landlords. Specific services provided through this program include:

• Eviction Legal Clinics
• “Know Your Rights” Training
• Direct Client Representation
• Inclusive Educational Outreach
• Eviction-focused training for Mediations and Restorative Justice staff and volunteers

Funds were also used to train Mediation and Restorative Justice staff and volunteers. This training better prepares staff and volunteers to navigate eviction-related cases.

The Eviction Legal Fund will continue with funding approved in the 2025-2026 Adopted Budget.

View Additional Program Information

This program provided one-time funding for the development of the Heartside Hill project in southeast Fort Collins. This development is being funded in partnership with local, regional and state partners. The project will create 71 new units of affordable rental housing in Fort Collins.

This program provides funds to support the City’s Land Bank. With these funds, staff anticipate purchasing five acres on which at least 100 homes may be built.  Funding this project with ARPA funds frees up additional City funding to support other initiatives.

The Land Bank was not funded in the 2025-2026 Adopted Budget.

Learn More About this Program

This program provided subsidies to developers building affordable housing projects within Fort Collins, increasing the amount of affordable housing available. The homes supported with affordable housing fee credits will be deed restricted for at least 30 years, some for 40 years, providing homes to generations of low wage-earning households.

In 2022 and 2023, funding provided fee offsets for 25 newly constructed homes targeting households earning 30% (20 homes) and 40% (5 homes) of area median income at three affordable housing communities.

The dedicated ARPA funding for this program allowed staff to pilot the administrative processing of affordable housing fee credits. This saved time and effort by City Council, developers and City staff. This pilot program was considered a success and City Code was amended to include this process when funding is appropriated.

This program will continue with Community Capital Improvement funding approved in the 2025-2026 Adopted Budget.

More Information About this Program

This program provided direct financial assistance to Fort Collins Utilities customers struggling to pay bills due to the pandemic. ARPA funds were combined with funds from Platte River Power Authority to support both residential and commercial customers in need.

After receiving financial assistance from the program, more than 95% of all utility accounts (residential, commercial and property management) became current, lessening the potential for utility shut-offs. The City received dozens of thank yous from customers who received assistance, with the majority of those benefiting from the program being renters with an annual income of less than $50,000.

Although pandemic-related assistance has ended, Utilities offers several other financial assistance programs.

This program was completed in 2022 and supported the establishment and expansion of a City Equity and Inclusion Office. ARPA funding amplified the ability of the Equity and Inclusion Office to conduct crucial work related not just to recovery but also the diversity, equity and inclusion goals of the City and community.

In 2022, the Office partnered with dozens of community partners to host a variety of local events. These efforts are essential to demonstrating and advancing the City’s commitment to equity for all and creating an environment that fosters a culture of belonging. Support was offered to match the needs of each event, including interpretation and translation services as well as facilities and food for residents to gather, learn and connect.  

Since 2023, programing for the Equity and Inclusion Office has been funded by General Fund.

More about the Equity & Inclusion Office

Funds for this project supported updates to the popular Adopt a Neighbor volunteer program, allowing community members to easily connect with those who need support. It also increased connection and placemaking in neighborhoods through Asphalt Art Projects.  

 Adopt a Neighbor: Funding was used to update software for the City’s volunteer site (Engage) to establish a “bulletin board” matching system. This system is more efficient than the previous manual staff matching process.

 Asphalt Art: Asphalt Art is an outdoor, community-led project that fosters connection between residents and enhances the unique character of neighborhoods – building a stronger sense of place and community. It also encourages traffic calming, increasing the safety of neighborhoods.       

ARPA funding covered installation and maintenance for three different projects. Additional asphalt art projects have been funded by non-ARPA dollars.

Funded in 2021 and launched in 2022, MBEC is a free, bilingual center that provides holistic support, training and resources for local businesses and entrepreneurs of all sizes, with a specific focus on supporting historically underserved community members. It is the only local entrepreneurial support organization that provides navigation support for City processes and full-time bilingual staff.

MBEC acts as a conduit between the client business and many other entities, including other City departments (Sales Tax, Planning Development and Transportation) and other local entities (Poudre Fire Authority, Larimer County Health). MBEC also strategically partners with local organizations, including Fuerza Latina, ISAAC, Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce and Larimer County Small Business Development Center. These partnerships and direct connections make it easier for businesses to navigate regulations and processes.

In 2024, the Economic Health Office received the 2024 Excellence in Economic Development Gold Award from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). The award was specifically given for work in the “Entrepreneurial & Small Business Development” category. IEDC judges specifically praised MBEC’s work to facilitate communication between government entities and client businesses.

MBEC also provided grants for emerging businesses who make less than $250,000 in gross revenue a year. Grants were used for bookkeeping support, legal support, workforce development, marketing and technical assistance. This grant program allowed newer businesses, who typically do not qualify for other COVID impact funding, to obtain critical resources for stabilization and recovery. 

MBEC will continue for at least two more years with funding approved in the 2025-2026 Adopted Budget. The Center will operate with one fewer navigator position due to reduced funding.

More Information About this Program

This program enhances and expands technical assistance available to businesses navigating the Development or Building Review processes through grants and increased staff support. Review processes can be challenging for businesses to navigate, especially small businesses with limited resources.

32 small businesses and nonprofits were awarded grants ranging from $300 to $7,500. Applicants used funds for technical services including project management, consulting, site planning, landscape design, engineering, surveying, lighting design, architecture, sprinkler design and construction.

In addition to grants, funds supported additional staff time and resources to help businesses better understand the Building and Development Review processes. While helping businesses navigate, staff were able to learn more about the challenges and barriers businesses face. This led to the creation of a Development Review Road Map, designed for restaurants to learn more about the Development Review process and standards that apply to restaurants.

This program will end in the first half of 2025. Staff are partnering with the Economic Health Office to continue to support businesses navigating Development and Building Review processes.

Originally, APRA funds for this program were going to be used to purchase new software to manage online permitting. However, due to delays in the larger City-wide Licensing, Permitting and Code Enforcement project, these funds were pivoted to support the work and permitting required to upgrade housing in mobile home parks, affordable housing units and rental units.

The program provided small grants to assist residents in these units. Eligible projects included:

• Upgrades to electrical wiring/outlets.
• Upgrades to water heaters, furnaces and air conditioners.
• Installation and replacement of decks, stairs, ramps and/or handrails.
• Roof repair or replacement.
• Installation of energy efficient windows.

Demand for grants far exceeded funds available - more than 300 applications were received with funding asks totaling more than $2 million. Funding covered critical repairs to 50 homes, all rentals and/or located in mobile home park communities.

These repairs will improve the safety and livability of the homes for 20-50 years, meaning that both current and future tenants will benefit from them. Repairs also benefit small landlords, many of whom lost income during the pandemic and deferred maintenance on properties.

This program represented a critical "proof of concept" for providing direct investments for the safety and resiliency of rental housing and mobile homes. Some funding has been identified to continue supporting these types of grants, but limited to climate resilience upgrades, rather than safety-related upgrades. 

The For Fort Collins campaign and website centered on supporting local businesses and highlighting their critical role in the community. The program connected businesses to resources (grant opportunities, Keep NoCo Open signage, marketing support, etc.) and encouraged community members to shop local and support local businesses throughout the pandemic.

 During the campaign, a For Fort Collins website was established to act as a hub for business resources and highlight Fort Collins’ diverse local businesses.  The website featured stories from a variety of businesses, showcasing the diversity of the local business community. The site also featured shop local messaging, including a “Shop Local Pledge” and tips for supporting local businesses in the midst of pandemic restrictions and supply chain issues.

The For Fort Collins campaign has ended and the For Fort Collins website has been sunset.  The Economic Health Office continues to provide a variety of support to local businesses.

The Economic Health Office deployed two rounds of grant funding to support businesses struggling to stabilize from the pandemic. Grants were awarded to a wide variety of business types including food service, health and wellness, retail and manufacturing. Grant support to small businesses enabled them to stabilize, financially recover and build resilience.

Specific uses for the grants include:

• Hiring experts to increase businesses’ web presence and marketing abilities.
• Purchasing specialized manufacturing tools and training to produce products locally and avoid supply chain issues.
• Train and/or hire employees to meet demand.
• Reward existing employees (bonuses, raises, etc.) to increase retention.
• Relaunching a mentorship program to increase female representation in the clean energy sector by matching women with workplace opportunities.

Funding for code changes, professional services, consulting and public engagement efforts related to the City’s Land Use Code.  

In 2023, funds supported additional public engagement efforts for Phase 1 of the project, allowing community members to share feedback about code changes. Funds for Phase 2, the Future of Commercial Corridors and Centers, are being used to hire consultants and conduct robust community engagement.

In October 2024, more than 50 residents attended six neighborhood site visits to discuss potential impacts of proposed code changes and share feedback on the strengths and challenges of local commercial spaces. Additional engagement events included a community forum and business engagement event held in partnership with the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce. These events engaged more than 100 residents and business leaders.

Funding for regularly scheduled code updates (upkeep, corrections, etc.) is included in the City’s budget. Any additional major Land Use Code updates are not yet fully defined; therefore, funding is yet to be determined.

More Information about Land Use Code Updates

The Capital Projects Business Liaison provides support to businesses affected by City construction projects, ensuring they have the information, resources and support they need throughout the project. It also provides the opportunity to build stronger relationships between the business community and City organization.

Staffing costs for the Liaison were covered by ARPA funds in 2022 and then transitioned to be covered by General Fund in 2023. The Capital Projects Liaison position is now classified and funded out of Economic Health’s budget.

Remaining ARPA programmatic funds were used to provide grants to businesses through the Capital Project Assistance Grant Program. This program provided grants to businesses impacted by construction projects delayed due to COVID-19, including businesses near the recently renovated Linden Steet.

Funds covered the development of an updated Economic Health Strategic Plan. The previous Strategic Plan did not reflect changing priorities and business needs resulting from the pandemic. Having an updated plan means the Economic Health Office (EHO) is better positioned to support businesses and the local economy in a post-pandemic world.

More About the Economic Health Office

Childcare systems, already strained locally, were strained even more during pandemic and continue to be so. By providing resources to community partners who work in the childcare sector, the City can increase access to affordable, reliable childcare locally. This not only provides needed support for children but increases equity and economic stability - especially for women, who often bear the responsibility of caregiving.

In 2024, six different organizations were provided funding:

• Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County – scholarships for youth at Harmony Village location
• La Familia (The Family Center) – early childhood program support
• United Way of Larimer County – Larimer Child Care Fund
• Teaching Tree Early Childhood Learning Center – staff retention program and scholarships for low- and middle-income families
• The Rector, Wardens, Vestry of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church – St. Luke’s full-day childcare project

Once funds are fully spent, this grant program will not continue.

Additionally, funding covered a behavioral health specialist position to support youth and adults participating in Recreation programming. Due to the success of this position, it will continue with funding approved in the 2025-2026 Adopted Budget.

Funding to support construction of an early childhood education center at the Heartside Hill development. If the timeline of the project does not align with the timeline of spending under federal ARPA rules, funding will be repurposed to purchase land for the City’s Land Bank.

 NOTE: These funds were originally part of the Local Match program and listed under Government Operations.

Upgrades to the childcare spaces at the Northside Aztlan Community Center to allow additional children to be served through onsite youth programs. Due to increased construction costs, General Fund dollars and Recreation Reserves were used in addition to ARPA funds to cover upgrades.

Students of all ages experienced learning loss and developmental setbacks due to the pandemic. These setbacks still linger. To support local students’ ability to recover and thrive, the City funded the Learning Loss Mitigation Grant program, which provided grant funds to local partners working in this space.  In 2022, eight different organizations received grant funding and several of the grant projects continued into 2023.

This program funds upgrades to HVAC systems in several City facilities, which will reduce the carbon footprint of buildings and increase efficiency. Upgrading this infrastructure allows the City organization to lead by example and provide healthy, efficient and comfortable indoor spaces in facilities, many of which are accessed by vulnerable community members. Several HVAC systems in City facilities were nearing end of life, and ARPA funds allowed them to be replaced before failure.

This program includes enhanced engagement, support and code compliance for mobile home park communities. Residents of mobile home parks often do not qualify for utility rebates or programs to increase efficiency. This program is designed specifically to pilot efficiency upgrades to units, along with other repairs and updates needed for mobile home park units to meet code compliance standards. 

 After working to establish and build relationships with mobile home park communities in 2023, work shifted toward rolling out programming to improve livability, efficiency and code compliance.

 The contractual position supporting this work will end in March 2025. Staff provided Council an update about mobile home park oversight and enforcement work on February 25, 2025, which included discussion about the impacts of ARPA-funded work in mobile home parks and potential future funding opportunities.

Upgrades to lighting on stages at the Lincoln Center. Converting to LED lights significantly reduces the carbon footprint of the events center and increases building efficiency.

Additionally, these energy-saving LEDs allow for a wider range of colors and effects, making performance lighting more dynamic.

Staff and administrative costs for the oversight and implementation of the Resilient Recovery Plan, including the deployment and monitoring of ARPA funds. Staffing is needed to support recovery work at all stages – development of the Recovery Plan, plan implementation, management of ARPA funds, and required compliance and reporting. Without this staffing and associated administrative costs, getting recovery-related projects launched and monitored would not be possible.

Recovery Administration will be required until early 2027. Funding for administration expenses will be sourced from the 4.6% overhead fee applied to open ARPA programs and underspend from the Local Match program (Government Operations).

Funds originally allocated to the Mental Health Response Team, Risk Management/Cyber Risk Management program and Crisis Communications Plan were repurposed to help fund Accela Replacement efforts.

 Accela is a critical software that manages workflows and processes for permits, projects, licenses and code enforcement. Many different departments, including Building Services, Development Review, Engineering, Zoning and Neighborhood Services, use this software. Upgrading and modernizing the software will streamline workflows, benefiting staff and residents. The updated, cloud-based system the City is migrating to is more accessible, efficient and futureproof. 

 ARPA funds represent a small portion of the budget for this project, which includes software licensing fees, change management, buildout and training. 

Additional staff and funding to support hiring and workforce management for the City and four partner agencies. Along with staff, this program includes advertising funds to market to qualified candidates via LinkedIn, Indeed and other hiring platforms.

 This program significantly enhanced Human Resources (HR) capacity. The increased capacity and advertising resources allowed HR to streamline the recruitment process, improve candidate engagement, and expand outreach to attract top talent – helping ensure the City has the quality workforce needed to serve the community.  

 This program will continue after ARPA funds are exhausted. General Funds approved in the 2025-2026 Adopted Budget will cover the costs of a Recruiting Specialist and advertising funds.  

All ARPA spending must adhere to federal and City purchasing requirements, which often require RFPs, bids and other contracting processes. In order to effectively manage this increased volume of work, the Purchasing Department needed additional capacity to handle ARPA-funded purchases and service agreements. Adding a Senior Buyer position helps Purchasing more efficiently manage the increased volume of work, allowing for more efficient processing and distribution of ARPA funds.

While this position was originally contractual, the contractor joined Purchasing as a classified employe when a position opened in 2024. ARPA funds are covering the position until June 2025, when the bulk of ARPA-related purchasing activities will be complete.  Once ARPA funds are fully spent, the position will again be covered by Operations Services funds.

This program funds updated case management software for the City’s Municipal Court. Updated software that is more efficient, secure and usable for staff and community members is crucial to the operations of the Court. This software is also better integrated with Police Services and the City Attorney’s Office.

Funds to support the development of a comprehensive emergency communications plan for the City that can be applied to a variety of different emergency and crisis events.

Having a centralized emergency communications plan means the City will be better able to quickly and effectively communicate crucial information to community members during emergency events. Having key information in a timely fashion allows community members to take action to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.

The plan has been finalized, and all City communications staff have been trained on its use. Ongoing plan updates will be managed by the Communications and Public Involvement Office and any associated costs will come out of General Funds.

This project improved Wi-Fi access at Cultural Services and Recreation facilities, and funded upgrades to systems and spaces to support secure hybrid work during and after the pandemic.

Community Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi access in public spaces is vital for many community members, especially those who do not have reliable internet at home. Expanding connectivity capabilities in public City spaces increased residents’ ability to access online resources.

Hybrid Meeting Spaces: The City’s shift to a hybrid work model meant that workspaces needed to be reconfigured and systems upgraded to accommodate the new model.  Updating workspaces to have these capabilities allows the City to conduct essential business more efficiently.

Future Wi-Fi upgrades and meeting space technology updates will be part of the regular technology replacement cycle.

The pandemic amplified the need to improve the City’s cyber risk management strategies. Increased hybrid work and new technologies necessitate cybersecurity upgrades to safeguard all City devices and users from digital attacks and phishing attempts that could hamper service delivery. With these upgrades, the City’s virtual assets are more secure, and employees have a safer work environment, regardless of location.

• Primary components of this project include:
• Multifactor Authentication (MFA)
• Identity Access Management (IAM)
• Endpoint Protection
• Offline Backups

ARPA funds enabled the City to prioritize these upgrades, laying the foundation for cybersecurity updates over the next several years. Funds covered the costs of hiring expert consultants to evaluate the current state of cybersecurity systems and define a roadmap of needed work.

Ongoing costs related to cybersecurity upgrades will be funded by non-ARPA dollars.

This funding was originally housed under the Local Match program and earmarked for the creation of a new 24/7 shelter for men experiencing homelessness, operated by Fort Collins Rescue Mission.  Leadership opted to change the funding source for the shelter from ARPA funds to General Fund dollars. $1,000,000 of General Fund from the City’s budget for Accounting personnel was swapped for the $1,000,000 ARPA funds. This swap avoids challenges with the federal deadlines to spend ARPA dollars and the anticipated timeline of shelter buildout. This swap was thoroughly reviewed by Legal and Accounting and allows the City to support the building of a new shelter while also complying with federal rules.

The 24/7 men’s shelter is no longer an ARPA program and is funded instead with General Funds.

Funding for critical repairs to downtown parking structures to prolong their lifespans and increase structural integrity.

Bids for this project came in significantly higher than anticipated. To cover the increased costs, funding for Parking Structure Security Upgrades was pivoted to this project. Additionally, the Mental Health Response Team program was able to meet its programmatic needs at a lower cost than originally anticipated, so the excess was pivoted to support this project as well.

ARPA funds supported ongoing pandemic communications in 2021, as well as public outreach and engagement for the development of the Resilient Recovery Plan. 

As pandemic conditions evolved in 2021, rapid and efficient communication with residents and businesses was critical to ensure they had up-to-date information to keep themselves, their loved ones, and their customers safe. Additionally, public engagement efforts - including targeted engagement with groups most impacted by the pandemic - supported the creation of a community-centered Recovery Plan. The plan reflects what residents felt was most needed to achieve a resilient recovery.

After funding was exhausted, additional communication related to the Resilient Recovery Plan was funded from the Recovery Administration program (listed above).