Missouri City outlines spending plan for federal coronavirus recovery funds

The city of Missouri City received a little over $3.45 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act on Aug. 23, the first half the city was due to receive from the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

In August of this year, Missouri City will receive its second $3.45 million payment, designed to assist the city in responding to the impact of COVID-19, according to a Feb. 7 agenda report.

On Feb. 7, Missouri City City Council unanimously approved a $6.9 million plan utilizing those funds, which will address two main categories of need: public health and economic response as well as water, sewer and broadband infrastructure, said Allena Portis, the city’s director of financial services during the meeting. These two categories were eligible uses for ARPA funding alongside public-sector revenues and premium pay for essential workers, according to the agenda report.

The funding, signed into law March 11, allows Missouri City to cover eligible costs incurred between March 3, 2021, and Dec. 31, 2024, according to the agenda report.

Once the total funding is available, the plan authorized by City Council includes a $225,000 disparity study; $200,000 for small-business workshops; $450,000 in heating, ventilation and air conditioning upgrades across the city; a $1.9 million Mustang Bayou Service Area Water & Wastewater Collection System Design; and $2 million to purchase land for a wastewater treatment plant expansion, among others.

Mayor Pro Tem Jeffrey Boney asked specifically about where the land purchase was located.

According to Shashi Kumar, the city’s director of public works and city engineer, the city has initiated some preliminary conversations with the owner of the land, which is located just north of Trammel Fresno Road and west of Fort Bend Tollway.

“I think this project is widely needed to support growth,” Kumar said during the meeting. “It not only benefits the city, but benefits the developer, so we believe there may be some opportunity to collaborate.”

Missouri City has until Dec. 31, 2026, to expend the funds.