MEMA launches COVID-19 Emergency Relief Program

MEMA launches a new program to help cities and counties with the financial burdens of COVID-19.

TO RAISE THE ALARM.

ABOUT THESERIOUS DEADLY HIGHLY CONTAGIOUSSPREAD OF COVID-19 IN THE STATEOF MISSISSIPPI.AS WE SAID YESTERDAY AND AS WESAID LAST WEEK.WE CONTINUE TO BE IN A DANGEROUSPOSITION.IS FRED TO BE AGGRESSIVE OURHOSPITAL SYSTEM CONTINUES TO BESTRESSED.I’M A PRETTY SKEPTICAL GUY BYNATURE.SO I SYMPATHIZE WITH THE PEOPLEWHO WERE STILL NOT ON BOARD WITHTHIS MISSION.BUT I’M TELLING YOU.IT’S REAL.IT’S DEADLY.AND IT IS GETTING WORSE.NOT BETTER.AND THE BEST WAY I’VE SEEN TODEAL WITH IT IS TO WEAR A MASKAS OFTEN AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE.IT’S NOT FUN.IT’S NOT CONVENIENT.BUT I BELIEVE IN MY HEART IT ISMUCH BETTER THAN WIDESPREADECONOMIC SHUTDOWNS.AND IT’S WAY WAY WAY BETTER THANWIDESPREAD DEATH.PLEASE WEAR A MASK AS OFTEN ASPOSSIBLE.ALSO WANT TO SHARE SOMEINFORMATION TODAY.ON ASSISTANCE FOR OUR CITIES ANDOUR COUNTIES.EARLIER THIS MORNING.WE HAD VERY PRODUCTIVE STATEWIDECALLS.WITH MEMBERS OF BOARD OFSUPERVISORS WELL AS WITH MEMBERSOF THE MISSISSIPPI MUNICIPALLEAGUE MAYORS.AS WELL AS MEMBERS OF CITYCOUNCIL’S.WE LAID OUT THIS INFORMATION INDETAIL.AND I’M GOING TO ASK DIRECTORGREG MICHELLE WHO IS LEADING THEEFFORT TO PROVIDE MOREINFORMATION FOR YOU.THE BOTTOM LINE THE LEGISLATUREDID PROVIDE SOME MONEY FOR LOCALGOVERNMENTS TO HELP REIMBURSEEXPENSES.IT’S GOING TO HELP DEFRAY THECOST THAT THEY HAVE INCURRED.HOPEFULLY IT CAN HELP KEEP MOREPEOPLE ON THE JOB AND CANPREVENT MORE LAYOFFS.I KNOW THAT IT IS NOT ENOUGH TOOVERCOME THE TERRIBLE COST OFCOVID-19, BUT IT IS SOMETHING.IT IS A START.AND IT IS NECESSARY.AND WE’RE GOING TO DO EVERYTHINGWE CAN TO GET IT OUT QUICKLY ANDEFFICIENTLY.AS I SAID ON THE CALLS THISMORNING THE MISSISSIPPIEMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY ISTHE RIGHT ENTITY TO DO THAT.THEY HAVE EXPERIENCE IN THEDISTRIBUTION OF FEDERAL MONEY.THEY DO IT EVERY SINGLE DAYEVERY WEEK EVERY MONTH AND EVERYYEAR WITH STAFFORD ACT MONEY ANDTHEY WERE WELL EQUIPPED.I DO.THE SAME WITH THIS CARES ACTMONEY.SO WITH THAT I’M GOING TO TURNIT OVER TO DIRECTOR MICHELLE ANDLET HIM GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ONTHIS PROGRAM.THE GOVERNOR MENTIONED WE DIDHAVE A CALLS EARLIER TODAY WITHTHE MISSISSIPPI MUNICIPAL LEAGUEAS WELL AS THE MISSISSIPPIASSOCIATION OF SUPERVISORS, ANDWE’VE HAD CALLS LEADING UP TOTHAT THE LAST WEEK THROUGH THEEFFORTS OF OUR LEGISLATORSTHROUGH LEGISLATOR HOUSE BILL1799 AND SENATE BILL 3 0 FOR 7MILLION WAS ALLOCATED 70 MILLIONDOLLARS OF AT CARE ZACH FUND TOASSIST MUNICIPALITIES ANDCOUNTIES TO OFFSET COVID RELATEDEXPENSES.THERE WILL BE TWO TRACKS BYWHICH COUNTIES ANDMUNICIPALITIES WILL BE ABLE TOAPPLY FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF THEIREXPENSES AS A GOVERNOR’S ALREADYINDICATED.ONE OF THOSE IS GOING TO BETHROUGH THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCEVENUE.WE ARE ALREADY ESTABLISHED WITHTHAT.WE ALREADY HAVE THAT SYSTEM INPLACE THE THE MODULES BY WHICHWE DO THAT AND FOR MOST COUNTIESMUNICIPALITIES IS NO DIFFERENTIN FILING FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCETHROUGH THIS PROCESS THAN THEYWOULD DO ON A NORMAL NATURALDISASTER SUCH AS TORNADOESHURRICANES FLASH FLOODING SOMOST OF THE COUNTIES OF MENPENALTIES ARE FAMILIAR WITH THATPROCESS.THAT IS 75% REIMBURSABLE FORFROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ASIT STANDS TODAY THE ADDITIONAL25% COST-SHARE MATCH THAT ISREQUIRED FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCEWILL BE COVERED FROM THATALLOCATION OF THE 70 MILLION FORPUBLIC ASSISTANCE EXPENSES.FOR THOSE EXPENSES THAT ARE NOTELIGIBLE UNDER PUBLICASSISTANCE, BUT ARE ELIGIBLEUNDER CARES ACT GUIDANCE.THEN THOSE EXPENSES WILL BEAPPLIED FOR THROUGH A DIFFERENTVENUE.THAT IS A NEW PROCESS AND THATIS A PROCESS THAT WE ARE PUTTINGIN PLACE RIGHT NOW.WE’RE VERY CLOSE TO HAVING THATONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS.IT WILL LOOK VERY SIMILAR TOWHAT WE DO WITH PUBLICASSISTANCE, BUT IT MUST BE NEWBECAUSE IT IS A DIFFERENT VENUEGIVEN THAT IS A HUNDRED PERCENTREIMBURSABLE.IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THATCOUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIES WILLNOT HAVE THE OPTION OF WHICHVENUE THEY CHOOSE IF IT IS APUBLIC ASSISTANCE ELIGIBLEEXPENSE, THEY WILL BE REQUIRED.TO GO AND USE THAT ROUTE.WE’VE ALREADY GOT APPROXIMATELY25 TO 30 APPLICANTS THAT HAVEALREADY SUBMITTED PROJECT WORKSTATEMENTSSO WE ARE ALREADY WORKING THOSENOW FOR THOSE EXPENSES AGAINTHAT ARE NOT OUT OF PUBLICASSISTANCE, BUT OUR ELDERS ONECARES THAT THEY WILL USE THATVENUE AND THAT VENUE ALONE FORTHOSE EXPENSES.WE DO KNOW THAT THERE WILL BESOME EXPENSES.THAT WOULD BE SUBMITTED THATAREN’T ELIGIBLE.EITHER WAY.UNFORTUNATELY, WE’LL JUST HAVETO WORK THOSE AS WE GO THE WE’LLBE UTILIZING TO HELP EDUCATECOUNTIES MUNICIPALITIES ON HOWTO DO THAT.WE DEVELOP SOME TUTORIALS.MALLORY’S COMMUNICATION SHOP HASWORKED TOGETHER WITH MY RECOVERYDIRECTOR TO PUT TOGETHER SOMETUTORIALS.WE HAVE THAT HERE IN HARD COPYFORM.THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF ONEOF THE TOOLS.THIS WILL BE POSTED ON MIMASWEBSITE.ALL OF THE APPLICATIONS WILL BEACCESSED THROUGH MIMAS WEBSITEAT MSM A.ORG.GO TO OUR RESOURCES TAB AND YOUCAN SCROLL THROUGH AND FIND ALLTHOSE RESOURCES THERE ONEADDITIONAL ASSET THAT WE’REGOING TO PUT INTO PLACE ONCE THENEW APPLICATION FOR CARES ACT ISTHERE IS A CALL CENTER.SO IF YOU CANNOT GET THEQUESTIONS ANSWERED THAT YOU NEEDEITHER ONLINE, THEN YOU’LL HAVETHE OPPORTUNITY TO CALL IT AQUALIFIED GROUP OF FOLKS WILL BEWORKING A CALL CENTER.THAT WILL BE LOCATED AS PART OFOUR JOINT INFORMATION CENTER ATMEMA TO ASSIST YOU WITHANSWERING QUESTIONS ALONG THEWAY APPLICATION PROCESS THE BILLBILL LEGISLATION REQUIRES MEMATO START MAKING DISBURSEMENTSFROM THAT CARE ZACH NOT LATERTHAN AUGUST 15TH.WE WILL EXCEED THAT BECAUSEAGAIN AS ALREADY MENTIONED WE’VEALREADY GOT APPLICANTS UNDERPUBLIC ASSISTANCE NOW, SO WEWILL BEGIN THIS PERSON’S PRIORTO THAT THE APPLICATION PERIODFOR THE CARE ZACH THEAPPLICATION FOR PUBLICASSISTANCE IS ALREADY OPEN.IT’S BEEN OPEN SINCE THEBEGINNING OF THIS DECORATION,BUT FOR CARES ACT WE WILL HAVETHAT UP AND OPERATIONAL IT WILLOPEN ON AUGUST THE 3RD AND THEAPPLICATION PERIOD WILL RUNUNTIL OCTOBER THE 15TH.ONE FINAL THING TO MAKE NOTE, ISTHAT COUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIESAS DIRECTED BY THIS LEGISLATIONWILL BE ALLOCATED.BY POPULATION FROM THE COUNTYAND THE MUNICIPALITY WILL BEALLOCATED A SET POT OF FUNDING.THAT WAS THE FAIR AND EQUITABLEWAY THAT OUR LEGISLATORS DECIDEDTO DO THAT.AND SO YOUR FUNDING WILL BE SETASIDE AND YOUR DRAW EITHER FROMYOUR STATE COST SHARE TO MATCHPA OR FROM A HUNDRED PERCENTREIMBURSEMET WILL COME FROMTHAT COST SHARE ALLOCATION.ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I’VEBEEN ASKED S WHAT DO YOU DO IFA COUNTY DOESN’T USE ALL THEIRMONEY OR WE RUN OUT OF MONEY THEANSWER THAT QUESTION IS AFTER 15OCTOBER IF THERE’S ANY FUNDINGAVAILABLE WE WILL DO EVERYTHINGTHAT WE CAN TO ALLOW ANOTHERALLOCATION OF FUNDING TO GO OUTBUT KEEP IN MIND THIS TAKESTIME.WE HAVE A VERY SHORT WINDOW OFTIME AND OUR FIRST PRIORITY ISTO PROCESS THOSE APPLICATIONSTHROUGH THE INITIAL APPLICATIONPERIOD ALL THIS FUNDING MUST BEALLOCATED AND AND SENT OUT BY 31NOVEMBER AND THEN THAT FUNDINGCOMES BACK