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Bell County

Recovery Plan 

State and Local Fiscal Recovery 

Funds

2021 Report
Bell County 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 2

Bell County

2021 Recovery Plan

Table of Contents

General Overview......................................................................................................................3

Executive Summary.................................................................................................................3

Uses of Funds .........................................................................................................................3

Promoting Equitable Outcomes ...............................................................................................5

Community Engagement .........................................................................................................6

Labor Practices .......................................................................................................................6

Use of Evidence ......................................................................................................................6

Table of Expenses by Expenditure Category...........................................................................6

Project Inventory.......................................................................................................................7

Performance Report ................................................................................................................7
Bell County 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 3

GENERAL OVERVIEW

Executive Summary 

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government created the State and Local 

Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) to address the economic fallout and lay the foundation for a 

strong and equitable recovery. The County received half of the funds and will receive the 

remaining funds in June 2022.

Per Treasury guidance, the Recovery Plan Performance Report provides the public and 

Treasury information on the projects that recipients are undertaking with program funding and 

how they are planning to ensure program outcomes are achieved in the effective, efficient, and

equitable manner. Bell County will create a new report in the following years that will include 

key performance indicators and some mandatory indicators identified by Treasury. Each 

Recovery Report will grow each year, as the County increases its spending, projects, and 

reporting.

Bell County has focused SLFRF on several key areas that have either been affected by or 

identified as a lacking resource due to COVID-19. SLFRF will be utilized to address these 

areas in addition to ensuring the programs selected address equity, economic recovery, and 

pandemic resiliency.

Uses of Funds

As Bell County began the process of planning how to use SLFRF, it started by analyzing the 

negative economic impacts within the County caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many areas 

of need that were a direct result of COVID-19, such of PPE, testing, and vaccine clinics, were 

already being addressed by other resources. Because of this, the County choose to focus on 

more long-term needs within the County to develop priority areas. These priority areas focus on 

public safety, mental health, individual assistance, technology and digital infrastructure, small 

business assistance, tourism, child welfare, childcare, substance abuse, behavioral health, 

housing, homelessness, and workforce development. All these areas have either had a 

negative impact or have been identified as a lack of resources caused by COVID-19.

Treasury requested that recipients show how they are prioritizing specific Expenditure 

Categories (EC), listed below. Bell County can point to how their list of projects explicitly 

promote certain Expenditure Categories, as defined by the Treasury.

a. Public Health (EC 1)

o Bell County has coordinated several projects to promote testing, vaccinations, and 

public health. While these projects have been funded by other programs such as 

CARES and/or FEMA, they are important to include to provide a broader context on the 

overall approach for pandemic recovery.

o Bell County plans to focus on enhancing facilities and technology to ensure safe and 

healthy operations within its public safety and judicial functions. 

▪ Current public safety facilities are not adequately designed, constructed, or 

operated to prevent or mitigate a pandemic. Quarantining measures that have 
Bell County 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 4

had to be implemented continually resulted in overcrowding and less than safe 

operating conditions for both inmates and staff. In addition to the health risk, 

these conditions have caused substantial negative financial impacts to the 

County. Bell County plans to redesign and expand jail facilities to address the 

affects of the COVID-19 pandemic and to mitigate any future pandemics. This 

expansion will also include a mental health ward within the jail facility and a 

separate facility which will house a mental health diversion program. Bell 

County will be partnering with Central Counties Services and local mental health 

agencies to staff the diversion program.

▪ Current judicial facilities do not contain adequate technology to support virtual

activities. Bell County plans to design and install technology that will allow 

multiple judicial activities to be carried out virtually in order to promote public 

health and mitigate any future pandemics. 

b. Negative Economic Impacts (EC 2)

o Bell County plans to focus on small business assistance and workforce development. 

Utilizing CARES funds in the past, the County contracted with Central Texas Council of 

Governments to operate a grant program that would assist local small businesses that 

were forced to close due to the state shutdown. With ARP funds, the County plans to 

continue this program to reach more small businesses in the community. This will 

promote the local economy and help to establish stability in the local workforce.

c. Services to Disproportionately Impacted Communities (EC 3)

o Bell County is focusing on individuals that have had a negative financial impact from

COVID-19. To accomplish this, Bell County has partnered with a local agency, Hill 

Country Community Action Association, to provide rental and utility assistance to these

citizens. Funds for this program are being provided by the Emergency Rental 

Assistance program 1 included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and by 

the Emergency Rental Assistance Program 2 included in the American Rescue Plan 

Act. Again, while this funding is not included in SLFRF, it is important to include to see 

Bell County’s overall approach for pandemic recovery. 

o Bell County plans to focus on housing, homelessness, substance abuse, behavioral 

health services, child welfare and childcare. By focusing on these goals, Bell County 

expects long-term positive affects to homelessness, unemployment, judicial recidivism, 

mental and physical health as well as pandemic resiliency. Planned projects that will 

support these goals are:

▪ Partnering with local Boys and Girls club to expand facilities and operations to 

provide a safe after school program for students. This program will promote 

academic success, healthy lifestyles, character and citizenship development in 

addition to both individual and group mental and behavioral health counseling 

services.

▪ Partnering with local Habitat for Humanity to build and operate a Homeless to 

Housing program. This program will provide transitional, supported housing and 

will teach and facilitate independent living with oversight along with job training 

and mental health services. 

d. Premium Pay (EC 4)

o Bell County Commissioners Court approved premium pay during the beginning of the 

pandemic, which was funded by CARES. No further premium pay is being considered 

at this time.
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e. Water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure (EC 5)

o Bell County Commissioners Court wants to focus on the digital infrastructure needs in 

their community. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this was identified as a lack of 

resources within the County. To accomplish this, Bell County initiated meetings of all 

local jurisdictions to ensure efforts were not duplicated. The outcome of these meetings 

was a study to be conducted by the Central Texas Council of Governments to 

document and develop a plan to build broadband infrastructure that will cover Bell and 

surrounding counties in the most efficient, effective, and financially feasible method. 

f. Revenue Replacement (EC 6)

o Bell County has calculated their 2020 revenue loss, based on the Treasury provided 

calculations and will continue to calculate this revenue loss on December 31 of each 

year through 2023. The County’s focus of these funds will be on tourism and will 

provide updates in future Recovery Reports.

Promoting equitable outcomes 

Bell County has selected several priority areas that promote equitable outcomes. While Bell 

County had several non-profit agencies request SLFRF funding, The Commissioners Court 

chose projects that will serve these priority areas. These projects will focus on historically 

underserved and/or marginalized sections of the population. Bell County will strive to ensure all 

targeted populations are aware of and have access to these programs. Future annual reports 

will provide updates to these projects as they develop along with how they promoted equitable 

outcomes.

Bell County’s overall equity strategy translates into specific services or programs in the following 

Expenditure Categories:

• Negative Economic Impacts (EC 2): assistance to households to address impacts of the 

pandemic, which have been most severe among low-income populations. This includes 

assistance with rent and utilities. The funding for this program is being provided by the 

Emergency Rental Assistance program 1 included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 

2021 and by the Emergency Rental Assistance Program 2 included in the American Rescue 

Plan Act. 

• Services to Disproportionately Impacted Communities (EC 3): services to reach children, the 

majority of which are designated as “Low Socio-Economic Status”, by giving them a safe,

healthy environment that will provide mental and behavioral health services, promote health 

lifestyles, provide resources for academic success, and promote a passion for civic 

engagement. These services will address educational disparities and promote healthy 

childhood environments.

• Services to Disproportionately Impacted Communities (EC 3): services to reach the 

unhoused, a disadvantaged group, by giving them a safe community that will provide 

substance abuse counseling and mental health resources while promoting stability, selfreliance, and health lifestyles. This program will also provide access to education, jobs, and 

opportunities with a support structure for continued success and integration into society. 

Actions taken so far to work towards equity in Bell County include:
Bell County 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 6

1. Selecting priority areas of individual assistance, housing, homelessness, substance 

abuse, behavioral health services, child welfare, and childcare

2. Selecting local non-profits for funding that will support these priority areas

Community Engagement 

Bell County understands how COVID-19 impacted its community, and they continue to listen to 

their residents, medical providers, businesses, and non-profits to best respond to their needs. 

The Bell County Commissioners Court has already accomplished the following:

1. Held public workshops with the Commissioners Court to hear local non-profit requests 

for funding

2. County Judge and Commissioners engaged with their communities to better understand 

current needs

Labor Practices 

Bell County will ensure strong labor standards to promote effective and efficient delivery of highquality infrastructure projects, to support the local economy and local employment. Once 

infrastructure projects are started, Bell County will report policy or measurements in following 

Recovery Plan Reports.

Use of Evidence 

During this reporting period, Bell County does not have any active projects that fall under this 

category.

Table of Expenses by Expenditure Category

Per Treasury guidance, once Bell County completes applicable contracts and an amount is 

incurred as a liability, Bell County will report on the projects or programs.

Category Cumulative

expenditures to 

date ($)

Amount spent 

since last 

Recovery Plan

1 Expenditure Category: Public Health

1.7 Capital Investments or Physical Plant Changes 

to Public Facilities that respond to the COVID19 public health emergency 0.00 0.00

2 Expenditure Category: Negative Economic 

Impacts

2.9 Small Business Economic Assistance (General) 0.00 0.00

3 Expenditure Category: Services to 

Disproportionately Impacted Communities

3.6 Healthy Childhood Environments: Child Care 0.00 0.00

3.11 Housing Support: Services for Unhoused 

persons 0.00 0.00
Bell County 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 7

Category Cumulative

expenditures to 

date ($)

Amount spent 

since last 

Recovery Plan

5 Expenditure Category: Infrastructure

5.17 Broadband: Other projects 0.00 0.00

6 Expenditure Category: Revenue Replacement

6.1 Provision of Government Services 0.00 0.00

Project Inventory

During this reporting period, Bell County does not have any active projects to report. Bell 

County will add to this section as projects begin.

Performance Report

During this reporting period, Bell County has not incurred as a liability any major SLFRF 

projects. In the future, Bell County will report the following metrics, at a minimum, for major 

SLFRF projects:

a. Small Business Economic Assistance (EC 2.9)

• Number of businesses assisted

b. Healthy Childcare Environments (EC 3.6)

• Number and demographics of youths participating in after school prevention 

programs

c. Housing Support (EC3.11)

• Number and demographics of unhoused persons participating in housing 

community

Additional metrics may be identified in future reports as projects develop.