(MINEOLA, N.Y.) – On Monday, Jan. 23, the Nassau County Legislature voted unanimously to authorize the County to enter agreements with various not-for-profit agencies. Nearly $4 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)-funded grants that will be distributed to qualifying not-for-profit agencies through the following departments:
- $630,646 for the Office of the Aging
- $1,790,690 for the Department of Social Services
- $568,543.85 for the Department of Youth Services
- $938,002.30 for the Office of Mental Health in the Department of Human Services
In related action, the Legislature’s Rules committee approved a new $10 million contract between the Nassau County Office of Housing and Community Development and the National Development Council. Funding will be used to replenish the coffers of the Nassau County Restaurant Recovery Grant Program, the Main Street Recovery Grant Program, and other pandemic business assistance programs. Additionally, the full Legislature cleared the way for the Department of Public Works to deliver a total of $1.55 million, in the form of $50,000 grants, to help each of the eligible 44 public and private water suppliers address current water safety challenges presented by emerging contaminants like 1, 4 dioxane, PFO/PFOAs, and more.
Following today’s vote, Nassau County Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D – Glen Cove) issued the following statement:
“I am gratified that today’s actions will support small businesses, protect the environment and deliver crucial resources to agencies that are improving the lives of our seniors, our youth, and our families,” Nassau County Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D – Glen Cove) said. “However, it remains concerning that Nassau County still lacks a comprehensive and transparent plan for nearly $250 million in federal funding that must be obligated by next year and spent by the end of 2026.
“Last fall, I proposed the creation of a Community Advisory Board that would be tasked with overseeing the allocation of these funds and gathering community input to guide the allocation of these funds. Unfortunately, there has been no action by the Majority or the County Executive toward enacting this legislative proposal. I urge them to reconsider this proposal in the interest of ensuring that Nassau County derives the maximum benefit from this once-in-a-generation influx of federal aid for its residents.”