Boone County News Release

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Boone County CARES Act Funding Portal Now Open for Applications

September 8, 2020 – The Boone County CARES Act Funding Opportunity website is now available at http://cares.boonemo.org. The site offers information about the CARES Act, links to resources, instructions on how to apply for CARES Act funding, a contact form to request more information, and access to apply for CARES Act funding. The County of Boone has implemented a portal-based application system to streamline applications. The portal is now live and the Boone County Commission is accepting applications for CARES Act funding distributions starting today, Tuesday, September 8, 2020. The online portal will allow the Commission to review all applications for funding and allocate the money so as to meet the greatest needs in a manner that is both transparent and accountable.

Earlier this year, Congress created funding packages designed to help local government, healthcare providers, schools, businesses, and communities through the challenges caused by COVID-19. Guidance in distributing these funds according to the CARES Act was limited and accompanied by warnings of future audits, which could result in jurisdictions owing money to the federal government should it be determined that CARES Act Funds were improperly appropriated. To meet the county’s greatest needs in a transparent and accountable way, the Commission began to design a process to distribute the funding allocated for Boone County.

The online portal allows entities to submit applications for CARES Act funding. The fillable form requires information from applicants, including the applicant’s purpose and history; financial background, including ability to track funding; proposed use of CARES Act funding; methodology for demonstrating how the proposed use will impact the target population; whether there will be an ongoing need for the proposed activity “post-COVID-19,” and, specifically, for purposes of the CARES Act, how the project is related to or driven by COVID-19. Additional information is available on the Frequently Asked Questions page, https://www.showmeboone.com/commission/common/pdf/Boone_County_CARES_FAQ.pdf.  

The Boone County Commission has been actively reviewing all time-sensitive requests for CARES Act funding and, now, with the portal open, will review all other requests submitted for consideration. The Commission recognizes that every part of Boone County has been impacted by COVID-19 and understands the magnitude of the obligation to ensure that CARES Act funding be distributed equitably and appropriately throughout the county. The final date applications will be accepted is November 16, 2020, or when the funds are exhausted, whichever is earlier.

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