Staff Details Plans For Remaining ARPA Funds

Rocklin City Staff presented Council with an outline on planned expenditures for the remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds allotted to the City.

City of Rocklin was awarded $7.039 million to address the impact of COVID-19 on businesses, residents, and City operations. To date, the City has utilized $5,339,000 towards a variety of initiatives, including direct grants for small businesses, restaurants and nonprofits, the Rocklin Unified District, Rocklin’s Chamber of Commerce, and Sierra College among other institutions and programs.

With the completion of multiple programs, Staff identified multiple avenues the City could put towards the remaining $1.7 million in ARPA funding, listed below:

• Traffic Cameras- $150,000
• Park Shade Sails to purchase and install in Rocklin parks- $150,000
• Small Business Retention Program- $200,000
• Construction for a pedestrian bridge that connects the Sunset Whitney Recreation Area and Johnson-Springview Park- $1.2 million

Council approved the distribution of the remaining ARPA funds. 

For more information on these expenditures, you can find the full agenda item, here. 

Summer Civic Career Program Students Honored

Council honored the students who graduated from Rocklin’s Summer Civic Career Program, which introduced high school students to some of the behind-the-scenes roles that help the city function and highlights some of the more visible roles, like firefighter, police officer, and building inspector. 

For several weeks, students were split into teams where they spent four hours in each department, learning the ins and outs of how a City operates and ending the program with a mock City Council meeting and various assignments to demonstrate their understanding from the program. 

“We were very happy to hear that not only did the students feel like they learned something, but they gathered information that they felt would either influence the right choice on their career path or help them change their career path,” Tameka Usher told Council.

Each student was awarded a $500 scholarship for their completion of the program.

Councilmember Ken Broadway addressed the SCCP students and attendees: ”These are an incredible group of young men and women and our future is absolutely bright with them in it. In the midst of what is normally your summer vacation, you chose to embark on a program that I am hopeful provided you with some unique insights and an opportunity to expand your knowledge on our city.”