Lee County Government 

American Rescue Plan Act 

Recovery & Resilience Plan

STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS

Report Date: August 31, 2021

Lee County, Florida

Board of County Commissioners

P.O. Box 398

Fort Myers, FL 33902

239-533-2221

www.leegov.com/ARPA
ARPA Recovery & Resilience Plan

Lee County, FL

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ARPA Recovery & Resilience Plan

Lee County, FL

American Rescue Plan Act

Lee County, Florida

2021 ARPA Recovery & Resilience Plan

Contents I. General Overview......................................................................................................................... 1

1. Executive Summary........................................................................................................................... 1

2. Uses of Funds.................................................................................................................................... 2

3. Promoting Equitable Outcomes........................................................................................................ 3

4. Community Engagement .................................................................................................................. 4

5. Labor Practices.................................................................................................................................. 5

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

7. Table of Expenses by Expenditure Category..................................................................................... 7

II. Project Inventory........................................................................................................................ 10

III. Performance Report................................................................................................................... 11
ARPA Recovery & Resilience Plan

Lee County, FL

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I. General Overview 

1. Executive Summary 

Lee County's American Rescue Plan Act Recovery & Resilience Plan provides the public and U.S. Treasury 

a summary of projects funded with State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. The American Rescue Plan Act 

(ARPA) provides $149,675,549 in direct local funding assistance for Lee County. The first half of the 

County's award has been received and the second half is expected in mid-2022.

The Recovery & Resilience Plan will describe how the County will ensure that program and project

outcomes are achieved in an effective, efficient, and equitable manner. Key performance indicators will 

be provided for each project and the plan will be prominently published for public viewing. Lee County 

will update this document each time a project or program is approved for ARPA funding.

This initial report is current through July 31, 2021. The County will adopt a full Recovery & Resilience Plan 

on a rolling basis starting in the Fall of 2021. This report will be updated accordingly, and the Plan will be 

revisited and reallocated, as priorities require.

In conformance with the Department of the Treasury Interim Final Rule, Lee County's ARPA Plan will 

encompass programs and projects to address the approved areas: public health response; negative 

economic impacts to households, small businesses, and nonprofits; services to disproportionately 

impacted communities; potential premium pay for some public sector employees; core government 

services from replacement revenues; and infrastructure needs.

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Lee County, FL

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2. Uses of Funds

Lee County recognizes ARPA funding as an unprecedented opportunity to support robust and equitable 

investments that address immediate recovery needs—especially in the most disproportionately impacted 

communities—as well as longer-term resiliency building. 

This section of the report will identify each program and project by expense category. Lee County will use 

logic models and a corresponding narrative to discuss program and project inputs/resources, 

actions/processes, output metrics, and outcome metrics for all but infrastructure programs. As 

prescribed, projects will align to the categories below: 

a. Public Health (EC 1): As relevant, describe how funds are being used to respond to 

COVID-19 and the broader health impacts of COVID-19 and the COVID-19 public 

health emergency.

b. Negative Economic Impacts (EC 2): As relevant, describe how funds are being used to 

respond to negative economic impacts of the COVID-19 public health emergency, 

including to households and small businesses.

c. Services to Disproportionately Impacted Communities (EC 3): As relevant, describe 

how funds are being used to provide services to communities disproportionately 

impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency.

d. Premium Pay (EC 4): As relevant, describe the approach, goals, and sectors or 

occupations served in any premium pay program. Describe how your approach 

prioritizes low-income workers.

e. Water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure (EC 5): Describe the approach, goals, 

and types of projects being pursued, if pursuing.

f. Revenue Replacement (EC 6): Describe the loss in revenue due to the COVID-19 

public health emergency and how funds have been used to provide government 

services.

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ARPA Recovery & Resilience Plan

Lee County, FL

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3. Promoting Equitable Outcomes 

Lee County Government values diversity and welcomes input from all interested parties, regardless of 

cultural identity, background or income level. Moreover, Lee County believes that the best programs and 

services result from careful consideration of the needs, and input from, it’s various communities involved 

in transportation, public transportation, human services, and other government services.

1

Thus, Lee County does not tolerate discrimination in any of its programs, services or activities. Pursuant 

to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other federal and state authorities, the County will not exclude 

anyone from participation, deny benefits, or discriminate against anyone on the grounds of race, color, 

national origin, sex, age, disability, religion, income or family status.2

Commensurate with Lee County's active acknowledgment and promotion of civil rights and equity, each 

ARPA project will be designed with equity in mind. All projects will be required to define their strategic 

objective and operational approach to promote or ensure equitable outcomes for their service recipients. 

To conform to the Treasury's specific requirement to promote equity, the required expense category 

projects will submit an equity plan addressing the Treasury's objectives for setting and promoting equity 

goals, awareness, access and distribution, and equitable processes. Furthermore, the ARPA fund sub 

recipients will describe and be monitored regarding their methodology for reviewing, understanding, and 

planning to ensure equitable access that can lead to equitable outcomes. 

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 1 “Civil Rights Act, Title VI.” Lee County Southwest Florida, 5 Aug. 2021, www.leegov.com/civilrights. 

2 “Civil Rights Act, Title VI.” 2021.
ARPA Recovery & Resilience Plan

Lee County, FL

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4. Community Engagement 

Throughout the response to the pandemic, Lee County engaged its community-based partners, economic 

development organizations and business organizations to identify pandemic related needs. An ARPA 

communication plan is being developed to collect additional input from the community in an equitable 

manner. Projects will be developed based on needs. 

The examples below illustrate means by which County departments solicit and gather feedback regarding 

pandemic-related needs. This documentation will be evaluated and prioritized in the development of the 

Lee County Government ARPA Recovery & Resilience Plan. 

Human and Veteran Services Community Engagement 

• Survey of nonprofits' partners;

• Personal consultation with various community based organizations including Lee Health, Salus 

Care, Salvation Army, CASL, United Way, Early Learning Coalition, Collaboratory, Central Florida 

Behavioral Health Network, and Midwest Food Bank; and 

• Survey of Partnering for Result youth services providers.

Economic Development Community Engagement

• Monthly Real Estate Research Institute surveys assessing pandemic impact on business activity:

• Regular consultation with all chambers of commerce; 

• COVID -19 related regular information sharing with the Southwest Florida Economic 

Development Alliance, Small Business Development Centers, and U.S. Small Business 

Administration (SBA);

• Scheduled regular two-way information sharing with industry partners on the LeeCares program

and not-for-profit sectors regarding pandemic impact on culture, housing, and human services;

• Weekly meetings with retail representatives regarding operation constraints;

• Weekly supply chain meetings with Lee Health;

• Weekly calls with hospitality industry partners to provide the latest information and assess local 

business conditions; and

• Regular calls to workforce training partners including Career Source.

Visitor and Convention Bureau Community Engagement

• Weekly information sharing and gathering calls with industry partners;

• Conducted periodic "willingness to travel" consumer sentiment research in key markets.

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ARPA Recovery & Resilience Plan

Lee County, FL

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5. Labor Practices 

All Lee County Government infrastructure projects (EC 5) procurement processes conform to Lee County 

Board of County Commissioners Procurement Ordinance 18-22. This ordinance is a high-level policy that 

sets forth the County's procurement regulations, including organization, controls, and accountability for 

procurement of goods and services. In addition, the Procurement department and end-user departments 

will ensure compliance with all grant and federal labor standards.

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ARPA Recovery & Resilience Plan

Lee County, FL

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6. Use of Evidence 

As required for the specified expense categories, Lee County will ensure that ARPA programs and projects 

are either evidence-based or designed with a research agenda to study their effectiveness. Project 

sponsors will be required to submit project logic models and corresponding narratives that summarize 

their project's evidence-based model and that outlines how their program will be aligned to the principles 

of their chosen model. Sponsors and projects that lack sufficient evidence-based outcomes will receive 

technical assistance to evaluate their projects to research and implement evidence-based solutions or 

research agenda methodologies. 

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ARPA Recovery & Resilience Plan

Lee County, FL

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7. Table of Expenses by Expenditure Category

As of July 31, 2021, Lee County has not incurred any expenses or obligations for projects that should be 

account for in the Table of Expenses by Expenditure Category. 

Category

Cumulative

expenditures to 

date ($)

Amount spent 

since last 

Recovery Plan

1 Expenditure Category: Public Health $0 $0

1.1 COVID-19 Vaccination - -

1.2 COVID-19 Testing - -

1.3 COVID-19 Contact Tracing - -

1.4 Prevention in Congregate Settings (Nursing

Homes, Prisons/Jails, Dense Work Sites, 

Schools, etc.)

- -

1.5 Personal Protective Equipment - -

1.6 Medical Expenses (including Alternative Care 

Facilities)

- -

1.7 Capital Investments or Physical Plant Changes 

to Public Facilities that respond to the COVID19 public health emergency

- -

1.8 Other COVID-19 Public Health Expenses 

(including Communications, Enforcement, 

Isolation/Quarantine)

- -

1.9 Payroll Costs for Public Health, Safety, and 

Other Public Sector Staff Responding to 

COVID-19

- -

1.10 Mental Health Services - -

1.11 Substance Use Services - -

1.12 Other Public Health Services - -

2 Expenditure Category: Negative Economic 

Impacts

$0 $0

2.1 Household Assistance: Food Programs - -

2.2 Household Assistance: Rent, Mortgage, and 

Utility Aid

- -

2.3 Household Assistance: Cash Transfers - -

2.4 Household Assistance: Internet Access 

Programs

- -

2.5 Household Assistance: Eviction Prevention - -

2.6 Unemployment Benefits or Cash Assistance to 

Unemployed Workers

- -

2.7 Job Training Assistance (e.g., Sectoral jobtraining, Subsidized Employment, Employment 

Supports or Incentives)

- -

2.8 Contributions to UI Trust Funds* - -
ARPA Recovery & Resilience Plan

Lee County, FL

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Category

Cumulative

expenditures to 

date ($)

Amount spent 

since last 

Recovery Plan

2.9 Small Business Economic Assistance (General) - -

2.10 Aid to nonprofit organizations - -

2.11 Aid to Tourism, Travel, or Hospitality - -

2.12 Aid to Other Impacted Industries - -

2.13 Other Economic Support - -

2.14 Rehiring Public Sector Staff - -

3 Expenditure Category: Services to 

Disproportionately Impacted Communities

$0 $0

3.1 Education Assistance: Early Learning - -

3.2 Education Assistance: Aid to High-Poverty 

Districts

- -

3.3 Education Assistance: Academic Services - -

3.4 Education Assistance: Social, Emotional, and 

Mental Health Services 

- -

3.5 Education Assistance: Other - -

3.6 Healthy Childhood Environments: Child Care - -

3.7 Healthy Childhood Environments: Home Visiting - -

3.8 Healthy Childhood Environments: Services to 

Foster Youth or Families Involved in Child 

Welfare System 

- -

3.9. Healthy Childhood Environments: Other - -

3.10 Housing Support: Affordable Housing - -

3.11 Housing Support: Services for Unhoused 

persons 

- -

3.12 Housing Support: Other Housing Assistance - -

3.13 Social Determinants of Health: Other - -

3.14 Social Determinants of Health: Community 

Health Workers or Benefits Navigators 

- -

3.15 Social Determinants of Health: Lead 

Remediation

- -

3.16 Social Determinants of Health: Community 

Violence Interventions 

- -

4 Expenditure Category: Premium Pay $0 $0

4.1 Public Sector Employees - -

4.2 Private Sector: Grants to other employers - -

5 Expenditure Category: Infrastructure $0 $0

5.1 Clean Water: Centralized wastewater treatment - -

5.2 Clean Water: Centralized wastewater collection 

and conveyance

- -

5.3 Clean Water: Decentralized wastewater - -

5.4 Clean Water: Combined sewer overflows - -
ARPA Recovery & Resilience Plan

Lee County, FL

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Category

Cumulative

expenditures to 

date ($)

Amount spent 

since last 

Recovery Plan

5.5 Clean Water: Other sewer infrastructure - -

5.6 Clean Water: Stormwater - -

5.7 Clean Water: Energy conservation - -

5.8 Clean Water: Water conservation - -

5.9 Clean Water: Nonpoint source - -

5.10 Drinking water: Treatment - -

5.11 Drinking water: Transmission & distribution - -

5.12 Drinking water: Transmission & distribution: 

lead remediation

- -

5.13 Drinking water: Source - -

5.14 Drinking water: Storage - -

5.15 Drinking water: Other water infrastructure - -

5.16 Broadband: "Last Mile" projects - -

5.17 Broadband: Other projects - -

6 Expenditure Category: Revenue Replacement $0 $0

6.1 Provision of Government Services - -

7 Administrative and Other $0 $0

7.1 Administrative Expenses - -

7.2 Evaluation and data analysis - -

7.3 Transfers to Other Units of Government - -

7.4 Transfers to Nonentitlement Units

(States and Territories only)

- -

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Lee County, FL

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II. Project Inventory 

As of August 31, 2021, the Lee County Board of Commissioners has not approved projects for inclusion in 

this section. This report will be updated as projects are authorized by the Board of County Commissioners. 

Additionally, new projects will be included in all ARPA Quarterly Expense Report submissions as required. 

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Lee County, FL

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III. Performance Report 

As of August 31, 2021, the Lee County Board of Commissioners has not approved projects for inclusion in 

this section. This report will be updated as projects are authorized by the Board of County Commissioners. 

Additionally, new projects will be included in all ARPA Quarterly Expense Report submissions as required.