March 19, 2024 |
Photo – ARPA logo – Courtesy Federal Transit Commission
To ensure that the City of Rawlins complies with government regulations, officials have adopted a federal grant procurement policy.
The Wyoming State Land and Investment Board received $69 million of American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, funding to distribute to municipalities across the Cowboy State. The federal money is meant to alleviate the affects COVID had on local economies. Infrastructure projects are covered under the scope of the ARPA funding.
In 2022, Rawlins requested a $7.5 million grant to construct a new 32-mile-long water transmission line from the Sage Creek Springs into the city. The Sage Creek Springs provide the city with a large portion of its clean drinking water and sections of the water transmission line are 100 years old. The SLIB board denied the grant application.
Last year, the city of Rawlins applied for a $700,000 grant from SLIB to design a new drinking water transmission line from the Sage Creek Springs. Scaling back the project from construction to design resulted in the SLIB board awarding the city the grant.
At the March 5th Rawlins city council meeting, the council members voted to create a federal grant and loan program vendor procurement procedure. City Manager Tom Sarvey said because the ARPA grant money comes from the federal government, Rawlins is required to abide by federal spending policies.
City Manager Sarvey said the federal government dictates who the city may buy equipment and other supplies from using the ARPA money. Sarvey said the newly adopted federal grant and loan procurement procedure will ensure the city is following the government’s rules.
Sarvey said the federal government requires that the city issue a request for proposal, or RFP, for all purchases over $250,000. An RFP outlines the specifications of a project and is used by vendors and contractors to submit competitive bids. Sarvey said the city doesn’t have to use an RFP for smaller purchases, but he isn’t sure what the price limit is.
Sarvey said the state requires an RFP for any purchase over $75,000, making it stricter than the federal government. However, Sarvey said the ARPA funding comes with its own set of specific rules on who the city may contract with on the water line design project.
The Rawlins city council unanimously voted to adopt the federal grant and loan program vendor procurement procedure. Documents provided by the city state that the policy will ensure the city of Rawlins is using the federal dollars efficiently and within regulations.
