Douglas County distributes $24.9 million in CARES Act funds to 53 entities

Douglas County nonprofits, agencies and businesses have spent the $24.9 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds that were provided by the State of Kansas and distributed through Douglas County Government. The state approved Douglas County’s direct aid plan in September 2020 and all of the funding was spent by the state’s deadline of March 1, 2021.

Fifty-three entities received funding for health and medical services, housing and human services, economic recovery and education. The projects ranged from coronavirus testing and personal protective equipment to housing assistance and capital improvement projects. Seven agencies received at least $1 million. Here’s a look at their total allocation and some of their projects:

LMH Health - $7.5 million

• $2.1 million – mass COVID-19 testing in the community
• $922,000 – employee health quarantine fund
• $779,000 – back-to-school testing

Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health - $2.3 million

• $962,000 – renovation work in building to address social distancing and safety, COVID-19 testing, and a mobile COVID clinic
• $613,000 – payroll to support COVID response
• $167,000 – communications campaign about COVID safety measures

Lawrence Restaurant Association - $2 million

• 275 grants were awarded to restaurants in Douglas County. Grants ranged from $260 to $66,000. Sixty-five restaurants received at least $10,000.

City of Lawrence - $1.4 million

• $367,000 – Campsite at Woody Park for those who were experiencing houselessness
• $347,000 - Installation of electronic air cleaning equipment
• $200,000 – Utility assistance for residents

Lawrence Public Schools - $1.2 million

• $547,000 - Technology and supplemental curriculum to facilitate distance learning
• $266,000 - Personal protective equipment for staff
• $229,000 - Reopening measures that included air purifiers, desktop dividers and thermal imaging equipment
• $158,000 - Meal program for children

Tenants to Homeowners - $1 million

• 497 households received rental or mortgage assistance

University of Kansas - $1 million

• $310,000 – Installation of 224 kiosks in buildings and at events for use of the CVKey health monitoring app
• $233,000 – Meal support for about 350 students who use a cooperative, student-managed scholarship hall kitchens that were closed
• $220,000 – Operational support for the lease of Naismith Hall to have an additional supply of single bedrooms to isolate and/or quarantine individuals

Douglas County Management Information Analyst Brooke Sauer administered the funding. She worked closely with the county administrator, county commissioners, community agencies, municipalities and the state. “These past five months have felt like a whirlwind. I’m proud that we made so many community connections and that everyone worked diligently across sectors so that we could quickly deploy the resources to help our community in COVID-19 recovery efforts.”

Douglas County Administration staff is monitoring the American Rescue Plan. As signed into law on March 11, the federal legislation includes $350 billion in funding for state and local governments. According to the latest reports and estimates, Douglas County could receive $23.7 million and the county’s four municipalities could receive:

• City of Lawrence - $18 million
• City of Baldwin - $657,000
• City of Eudora - $897,000
• City of Lecompton - $91,000

The deadline for expenditures would be Dec. 31, 2024.