Adams County, Colorado 

Recovery Plan 

State and Local Fiscal Recovery 

Funds 

2021 Report 

Adams County, Colorado 

2021 Recovery Plan 
Adams County, Colorado 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 1

Table of Contents 

General Overview ........................................................................................................................ 2 

Executive Summary .................................................................................................................. 2 

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

Other Federal Recovery Funds ................................................................................................. 4 

Promoting Equitable Outcomes ................................................................................................. 4 

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

Labor Practices ......................................................................................................................... 7 

Use of Evidence ........................................................................................................................ 7 

Table of Expenses by Expenditure Category ............................................................................ 7 
Adams County, Colorado 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 2

GENERAL OVERVIEW 

Executive Summary 

Adams County intends to divide the first ARPA tranche of $50 million into three categories: 1) 

Internal Priorities, 2) Contingency, and 3) External Priorities to promote a response to the 

pandemic and economic recovery. 

Internal Priorities || $10 million (20%): These priorities were recommended by the County’s 

Community Recovery Working Group (CRWG) which comprised of executive, senior and key 

staff members, informed by the Response & Recovery Teams (RRTs), and approved by the 

Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) in August 2021. 

In 2020, the BOCC created seven RRTs to better understand emerging needs, provide 

information, and aid in real-time updates, including policy and system shifts; cross-sector 

community partners were invited to engage in the RTTs. The RRTs were: Aging Adults 

Services; Business Support; Child Care; Food Security and Basic Essentials; Housing Stability; 

Support for the Unemployed and Future Workforce; and Uninsured and Healthcare Access. 

Contingency || $5 million (10%): Contingency is to ensure the County can remain nimble and 

adaptive to the response to and recovery from the ever-evolving pandemic. 

External Priorities || $35 million (70%): The County is developing an open, competitive grant 

application for non-profits, businesses, non-governmental organizations and special districts to 

apply for funding for response, recovery and resiliency projects and programs. In addition to the 

federal criteria and county goals, the BOCC identified nine funding priority areas: Broadband 

and Infrastructure; Health Care and Vaccinations; Homelessness Prevention and Affordable 

Housing; Older Adults; Technical Assistance for Businesses; Transportation Services and 

Access; Undocumented Residents; Veterans; and Workforce Development and Job Training. 

The grant program will launch Fall of 2021. 
Adams County, Colorado 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 3

Uses of Funds 

At this time, the County is still in the process of determining the external use of funds. Below 

are the County’s Internal Priorities, including the corresponding expenditure category. 

Table Key: 

 CED = Community and Economic Development Department 

 CMO = County Manager’s Office 

 CSWB = Community Safety and Well-Being Department 

 EXT = External Partner 

 FFM = Facilities and Fleet Management Department 

 HS = Human Services Department 

 IT = Information Technology and Innovation Department 

Dept. EC  Project/Program Amount Project/Program Description

CSWB EC 2 Housing Navigation & Mediation 100,000 $         Full‐year extension of services

CSWB EC 2 Long Distance Travel ARP  20,000 $          

Long Distance Travel Fund to transition clients from unsheltered (most 

vulnerable) to doubled‐up situations (least vulnerable). 

CSWB EC 3 Mobile Home Initiative 100,000 $        

Continuation of the Mobile Home Initiative launched to connect mobile 

home residents to resources such as education and legal support.

$       220,000

EXT EC 2 Village Exchange Center: Low Wage Worker Fund 250,000 $         2nd Round

CSWB EC 3 Neighborhood Mini Grants and Neighborhood Communications 16,000 $          

Up to 10 mini grants to launch neighborhood groups to address housing 

and educational disparities.

CSWB EC 2 Special Events Operating 7,000 $             

Homelessness outreach events to help obtain their IDs, promote new 

initiatives, and build and develop neighborhood groups.

HS EC 2 Workforce & Business Center project designated staff 304,3 $         20 Increase capacity to provide workforce supports at four locations

$       577,320

HS EC 2 20 FTE for streamlining services 1,700,000 $     Poverty prevention/caseload reduction

$    1,700,000

EXT EC 1 Adelante Vaccine Clinic 14,085 $           Vaccine equity clinics

CED EC 1 Wastewater Testing Pilot 10,000 $          

Early detection of viral transmission within through analysis of sewer 

basin wastewater samples for SARS‐CoV‐2 virus particles

FFM EC 1 Jail HVAC Upgrades  3,000,000 $     Total: $6,000,000.  Air quality for congregate setting.

EXT EC 1 Village Exchange Center Vaccine Incentive 1,000,000 $     Vaccine equity clinics/incentives

$    4,024,085

IT EC 2 Wireless/Broadband Services 50,000 $          

Wireless/Broadband RFP, including technical capabilities, populations 

served, service locations, etc. 

CSWB EC 2 CSWB Smart Benches 15,000 $           Smart benches allowing access to Wi‐Fi and device charging stations.

$          65,000

HS EC 2 20 FTE for Economic Assistance 1,300,000 $     24‐72 hour eligibility benefit determination

EXT EC 2 Senior Hub 1,600,000 $     Meals on Wheels

CSWB EC 2 Community Preparedness Recovery Program 41,000 $          

Focus on communities that are socially and economically disadvantaged 

and populations with access and functional needs. 

$    2,941,000

CSWB EC 2 CSWB Community Preparedness Recovery Program Coordinator 110,347 $        

Focus on communities that are socially and economically disadvantaged 

to help mitigate some disadvantages experienced by these populations.

CSWB EC 2 CSWB Analyst 78,000 $           Data analysis and program evaluation.

CSWB EC 3 CSWB Social Justice/Race Equity Coordinator 92,000 $          

Assist in the development, coordination, and implementation of 

programs that eliminate racial and ethnic disparities. Will lead the 

development of the County's Racial Equity Action Plan and community 

engagement plan to inform the County's equity strategies.

CSWB EC 3 CSWB Homelessness Outreach Coordinator 55,000 $          

Outreach services to persons who are homeless in Adams County, i.e., 

crises intervention, provision of basic needs, facilitation of increased 

access to emergency shelter, transportation, client advocacy, and 

service linkage.

CMO EC 7 Communications 52,248 $           Advertising, online and print materials

CMO EC 7 Marketing 85,000 $           Outreach and marketing

TOTAL ADAMS COUNTY INTERNAL NEEDS ALLOCATIONS 472,595 $       

TOTAL ALLOCATIONS 10,000,000 $ 

FOOD SECURITY, TRANSPORTATION & OLDER ADULTS

ADAMS COUNTY ORGANZIZATIONAL NEEDS

HOUSING & HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION

TOTAL HOUSING & HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION ALLOCATIONS

BUSINESS RECOVERY & WORKER SUPPORT 

CHILDREN & FAMILIES 

HEALTH CARE & PUBLIC HEALTH 

TECHNOLOGY & BROADBAND SERVICE

TOTAL BUSINESS RECOVERY & WORKER SUPPORT ALLOCATIONS

TOTAL CHILDREN & FAMILY ALLOCATIONS

TOTAL HEALTH CARE & PUBLIC HEALTH ALLOCATIONS

TOTAL TECHNOLOGY & BROADBAND SERVICE ALLOCATIONS

TOTAL FOOD SECURITY, TRANSPORTATION & OLDER ADULTS ALLOCATIONS
Adams County, Colorado 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 4

Other Federal Recovery Funds 

The County received $14.12 million in Emergency Rental Assistance funding in tranche 1. The 

County partnered with Maiker Housing Partners, Brighton Housing Authority, Commerce City 

Housing Authority and the COVID Eviction Defense Project to administer the funds with 90% of 

funds for direct rental and utility assistance and 10% of funds for operating costs for the 

partners. 

Below is a snapshot of the (ERA) distributions to date for tranche 1: 

Program Snapshot 

Launch Date 3/29/2021 (Operating 20 weeks) 

Paid Households 681

Average Funding Amount $8,941

Average # of Months of Rental Assistance 6.13 

Average # of Months of Utility Assistance 0.67

Funding Snapshot (Excludes Admin) 

Rental Assistance Paid to Date $5.87 million

Utility Assistance Paid to Date $216,000 

Additional Pending Payment (Rent + Utilities) $1.55 million 

Total Encumbered $7.64 million 

Total Remaining $5.08 million 

Application Snapshot 

Applications Pending Review 295 

Applications Under Review 255 

The County will award the second tranche of federal allocation of Emergency Rental Assistance 

in the Fall of 2021, $11.18 million including 15% operating costs. The County anticipates fully 

expending all ERA funds by the end of 2021/early 2022. 

Promoting equitable outcomes 

As the federal rule outlines, communities and populations most disadvantaged prior to the 

pandemic are those who continue to be the most impacted including low-income communities 

and people of color. 

The 2020 Census figures released earlier this year reflect a shift in the County’s demographics: 

Adams County is now a majority minority county1. Latinos comprise about 41% of the 

population, and Black, Native and Asian Americans each represent 2-4% of the population. 

The County is committed to focusing on equity which is reflected in both the Internal Priorities 

and the development of the RRR Grant Program for external partners 

1 A Colorado county offers a glimpse of America’s future, Washington Post, August 13, 2021. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/08/13/colorado‐race‐census‐adams‐county/  
Adams County, Colorado 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 5

A few examples of Internal Priorities that focus on underserved populations are: 

 FTEs for HS eligibility programs. Over the past year, the County experienced nearly a 

30% caseload increase. Increasing staff, will increase the number of cases that can be 

processed for food, medical, cash, childcare and other assistance programs. 

 FTEs for CSWB programs. Increasing outreach to unhoused individuals. 

 Vaccine equity clinics + incentives for underserved populations including non-English 

speaking communities, immigrants, refugees, undocumented individuals 

The County identified nine priority areas for the RRR Grant Program: 

 Broadband and Infrastructure 

 Health Care and Vaccinations 

 Homelessness Prevention and Affordable Housing 

 Older Adults 

 Technical Assistance for Businesses 

 Transportation Services and Access 

 Undocumented Residents 

 Veterans 

 Workforce Development and Job Training 

These priorities are built upon a foundation of equity and people first – helping those who are 

most adversely impacted by COVID-19. 

The County will work to ensure that equity is a component of the RRR Grant Program 

application. A few examples of these efforts are: 

 Collect demographic information of the applicant organizations including staff and 

boards of directors (if applicable). Provide additional points to women-, BIPOC (Black, 

Indigenous and Person of Color), LGBTQ+ and veteran-owned businesses 

 Require applicants to describe community engagement and how their proposed 

project/program will improve equity. 

 The application and other materials will be translated into Spanish and other languages 

upon request 

 Community outreach and marketing 

 When grants are awarded, the County plans to work with individual grantees to develop 

data metrics for each project. The County also plans to develop a public facing 

dashboard to track the results of the projects. 
Adams County, Colorado 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 6

Community Engagement 

Internal Priorities: 

At the onset of the pandemic, the County launched a website, 

www.AdamsCountyCOVID19.com identifying key resources to support residents and 

businesses. The County also launched seven RRTs to better understand emerging needs, 

provide information, and aid in real-time updates, including policy and system shifts that may be 

needed. 

 Aging Adults Services 

 Business Support 

 Child Care 

 Food Security and Basic Essentials 

 Housing Stability 

 Support for the Unemployed and Future Workforce 

 Uninsured and Healthcare Access 

The County invited participation on the RRTs from cross-sector community partners to come 

together to stay abreast of what others are doing related to emergency management, share 

resources with one another, and identify and lift opportunities for potential coordination of 

efforts. This included information sharing, breaking down community-wide barriers, and aligning 

policies and resources to support emergency response efforts. RRTs worked to accomplish the 

following: 

 Determine and monitor baseline and targets, in alignment with state and national 

COVID-19 response priorities 

 Establish subcommittees that are needed to meet targets and are in alignment with the 

Governor Jared Polis’ Stay-At-Home Order and priorities established through his office 

 Identify assets and resources and make them publicly available online 

 Identify specific resources to be put in place by Adams County Government to meet 

targets 

 Determine where other work is needed to close the gap that can be addressed by 

Adams County and subcommittee members 

 Adams County enlisted the support of the Rocky Mountain Cradle to Career (RMC2C) 

Partnership's staff, referred to as the backbone, to provide behind-the-scenes support for 

these seven strategic projects. 

Additionally, the County engaged the support of Rox Strategies to expand and continue the 

work of the Housing and Business Support RRTs. The County anticipates final reports and 

ongoing recommendations these two RRTs in the next 30-60 days. 

The work of the RRTs directly informed the BOCC’s Internal Priorities, and the development of a 

Response, Recovery and Resiliency Grant Program (RRR Grant Program) for external 

priorities. 

The Internal Priorities include funding to conduct community outreach and marketing to promote 

the RRR Grant Program to reach diverse communities through online, print, radio, communitybased communication channels. The RRR Grant Program application and supporting materials 

will be translated into Spanish, and other languages upon request. The County planning a two-
Adams County, Colorado 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 7

week soft launch of the RRR Grant Program including webinars and other outreach prior to the 

30 day application period. 

External Priorities: 

The County is developing an open, competitive grant application for non-profits, businesses, 

non-governmental organizations and special districts to apply for funding for response, recovery 

and resiliency projects and programs. The grant program will launch Fall of 2021. 

Labor Practices 

To be determined. 

Use of Evidence 

Projects will be evaluated through a rigorous application process and the subsequent required 

reporting. The process is currently being developed. 

Table of Expenses by Expenditure Category 

Category Cumulative 

expenditures to 

date ($) 

Amount spent 

since last 

Recovery Plan 

1 Expenditure Category: Public Health 

1.1 COVID-19 Vaccination $93,060.59 $93,060.59

1.2 COVID-19 Testing $376,396.06 $376,396.06

1.3 COVID-19 Contact Tracing $0 $0

1.4 Prevention in Congregate Settings (Nursing 

Homes, Prisons/Jails, Dense Work Sites, 

Schools, etc.) 

$117,985.27 $117,985.27

1.5 Personal Protective Equipment $6,647.24 $6,647.24

1.6 Medical Expenses (including Alternative Care 

Facilities) 

$0 $0

1.7 Capital Investments or Physical Plant Changes 

to Public Facilities that respond to the COVID19 public health emergency

$0 $0

1.8 Other COVID-19 Public Health Expenses 

(including Communications, Enforcement, 

Isolation/Quarantine) 

$273,298.78 $273,298.78

1.9 Payroll Costs for Public Health, Safety, and 

Other Public Sector Staff Responding to 

COVID-19 

$56,757.44 $56,757.44

1.10 Mental Health Services $0 $0

1.11 Substance Use Services $0 $0

1.12 Other Public Health Services $54,595.00 $54,595.00
Adams County, Colorado 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 8

Category Cumulative 

expenditures to 

date ($) 

Amount spent 

since last 

Recovery Plan 

2 Expenditure Category: Negative Economic 

Impacts 

 

2.1 Household Assistance: Food Programs $0 $0

2.2 Household Assistance: Rent, Mortgage, and 

Utility Aid 

$0 $0

2.3 Household Assistance: Cash Transfers $0 $0

2.4 Household Assistance: Internet Access 

Programs 

$93,000.00 $93,000.00

2.5 Household Assistance: Eviction Prevention $0 $0

2.6 Unemployment Benefits or Cash Assistance to 

Unemployed Workers 

$0 $0

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

Supports or Incentives) 

$0 $0

2.8 Contributions to UI Trust Funds* $0 $0

2.9 Small Business Economic Assistance (General) $0 $0

2.10 Aid to nonprofit organizations $250,000.00 $250,000.00

2.11 Aid to Tourism, Travel, or Hospitality $0 $0

2.12 Aid to Other Impacted Industries $0 $0

2.13 Other Economic Support $0 $0

2.14 Rehiring Public Sector Staff $0 $0

3 Expenditure Category: Services to 

Disproportionately Impacted Communities

 

3.1 Education Assistance: Early Learning $0 $0

3.2 Education Assistance: Aid to High-Poverty 

Districts 

$0 $0

3.3 Education Assistance: Academic Services $0 $0

3.4 Education Assistance: Social, Emotional, and 

Mental Health Services 

$0 $0

3.5 Education Assistance: Other $0 $0

3.6 Healthy Childhood Environments: Child Care $0 $0

3.7 Healthy Childhood Environments: Home Visiting $0 $0

3.8 Healthy Childhood Environments: Services to 

Foster Youth or Families Involved in Child 

Welfare System 

$0 $0

3.9. Healthy Childhood Environments: Other $0 $0

3.10 Housing Support: Affordable Housing $0 $0

3.11 Housing Support: Services for Unhoused 

persons 

$0 $0

3.12 Housing Support: Other Housing Assistance $0 $0

3.13 Social Determinants of Health: Other $0 $0

3.14 Social Determinants of Health: Community 

Health Workers or Benefits Navigators 

$0 $0
Adams County, Colorado 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 9

Category Cumulative 

expenditures to 

date ($) 

Amount spent 

since last 

Recovery Plan 

3.15 Social Determinants of Health: Lead 

Remediation 

$0 $0

3.16 Social Determinants of Health: Community 

Violence Interventions 

$0 $0

4 Expenditure Category: Premium Pay 

4.1 Public Sector Employees $0 $0

4.2 Private Sector: Grants to other employers $0 $0

5 Expenditure Category: Infrastructure 

5.1 Clean Water: Centralized wastewater treatment $0 $0

5.2 Clean Water: Centralized wastewater collection 

and conveyance 

$0 $0

5.3 Clean Water: Decentralized wastewater $0 $0

5.4 Clean Water: Combined sewer overflows $0 $0

5.5 Clean Water: Other sewer infrastructure $0 $0

5.6 Clean Water: Stormwater $0 $0

5.7 Clean Water: Energy conservation $0 $0

5.8 Clean Water: Water conservation $0 $0

5.9 Clean Water: Nonpoint source $0 $0

5.10 Drinking water: Treatment $0 $0

5.11 Drinking water: Transmission & distribution $0 $0

5.12 Drinking water: Transmission & distribution: 

lead remediation 

$0 $0

5.13 Drinking water: Source $0 $0

5.14 Drinking water: Storage $0 $0

5.15 Drinking water: Other water infrastructure $0 $0

5.16 Broadband: “Last Mile” projects $0 $0

5.17 Broadband: Other projects $0 $0

6 Expenditure Category: Revenue Replacement 

6.1 Provision of Government Services $0 $0

7 Administrative and Other 

7.1 Administrative Expenses $268,309.60 $268,309.60

7.2 Evaluation and data analysis $0 $0

7.3 Transfers to Other Units of Government $0 $0

7.4 Transfers to Nonentitlement Units 

(States and Territories only)

$0 $0

Project Inventory 

At this time, the County is still developing the application process to determine community need 

and eligible projects.