December 2024
As we wrap up the year, let’s take a moment to reflect on the outstanding progress of your combined efforts in implementing and completing projects under the American Rescue Plan Act’s State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (ARPA-SLFRF). This past year recipients have worked diligently to reach significant milestones across many of the ARPA-SLFRF projects. The OMES Grants Management Office (GMO) hopes that recipients enjoy a well-deserved break during the upcoming holidays.
For those catching up with the ARPA-SLFRF program, recipients of ARPA-SLFRF funds have collaborated with a variety of stakeholders across the state on projects aimed at addressing the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. These projects are not only addressing the negative impacts of the pandemic, but also creating long-term benefits to communities across the state. Examples of these benefits include increasing access to water in rural areas; expanding diversion programs that improve outcomes and reduce the incarceration cycle; expanding workforce training programs; expanding the state's broadband infrastructure; and increasing access to nutritious food in both underserved communities and food deserts.
Inspired by these outcomes and similar federal assistance activities, the GMO team is actively charting a bold new path in order to amplify the messaging surrounding the capture and use of federal funding across the state. Moreover, the GMO team is working to create innovative pathways for stakeholders to locate and access information about the mission of federal assistance programs and their outcomes. While the preliminary work continues on those initiatives, OMES leaders were recently invited to share their insights on the GMO's efforts to educate and collaborate with their divisions as well as their outlooks on the ARPA-SLFRF program:
"Capital Assets Management is grateful to Parker and the Grants Management team for making themselves available to educate our Construction and Properties team on ARPA-SLFRF dollars and the way that federal funds work," said Nathan Wald, OMES CAM administrator. "With this new knowledge, we are better equipped to manage state construction projects funded through ARPA-SLFRF."
"The OMES Grants Management Office proudly connects our agency to history-making projects in Oklahoma," said Bonnie Campo, OMES Outreach director. "Together, nonprofits and state government are making a difference in just a few short years with a small but mighty team! ARPA-SLFRF is building back the resiliency of our state in counties across Oklahoma."
The GMO’s ongoing efforts of internal development and education regarding federal funds will remain consistent as the team enters 2025; however, at this year-end reflection, I turn the focus back to the recipients and their projects. The GMO team considers themselves to be bit players in the larger cast of the ARPA-SLFRF ensemble. The implementation of ARPA-SLFRF is a monumental undertaking, one that has been successful thanks to the daily collective efforts of numerous individuals across Oklahoma. We want to express our gratitude to all of you for your enduring spirit of collaboration and commitment to these projects. Your tireless work each day highlights to a nationwide audience that Oklahomans are rolling up their sleeves and taking decisive action to ensure that our communities are emerging from the pandemic stronger than ever!
It has been my pleasure to get to know each of you this past year, and I am excited about your future efforts and outcomes coming in 2025.
As always, if you ever have any questions, please contact me or my team for assistance.
Sincerely,
Parker Wise
Director of OMES Grants Management Office
Grants Management metrics
Note: These metrics reflect data as of Dec. 2. Please visit the ARPA-SLFRF Program Tracker for the most up-to-date information.
- $798,000,000, or 42.66%, of total funds disbursed.
- $23,727,144.24 disbursed in November.
- 18 projects fully funded to date.
- $58,285,756.21 disbursed in Q3.
Year in Review
In 2024, subrecipients celebrated milestones for projects that will impact the lives of Oklahomans across the state.
The University Hospitals Authority and Trust (UHAT) recently celebrated a full-circle moment. In just under a year, OU Health and UHAT have broken ground on the facility and reached an important milestone in its construction phase. In October, OU Health invited officials to celebrate the Topping Out Ceremony and watch as the last beam was placed on the Oklahoma Children’s Hospital Behavioral Health Center. As featured in the November edition, the facility will expand access to quality mental health care for children from every county in Oklahoma. According to UHAT, this facility will be the most advanced pediatric behavioral health facility in the nation.
The Oklahoma Arts Council celebrated Oklahoma Arts & Culture Day at the State Capitol in April. This annual event is part of a statewide arts advocacy initiative. Historically, art has brought communities together. In that spirit, industry partners, nonprofits, legislators and arts supporters alike gathered to celebrate the funding for arts and culture projects across the state. The federal funds have been allocated across rural and urban areas to maximize the impact to ensure all Oklahomans benefit from arts and arts education programming.
Our partners at the Office of Juvenile Affairs (OJA) celebrated a significant milestone with the ribbon-cutting on the new Goodrich Counseling Center at Pivot. The nonprofit is dedicated to making a long-term impact on the lives of marginalized youth. With the assistance of ARPA-SLFRF funds for the Goodrich Counseling Center, Pivot can now serve more young people and make a broader impact than ever before. OJA aims to address education disparities through academic, social and emotional services for Oklahoma youth, and this project supports their goal.
Earlier this year, UHAT celebrated an important milestone with another project at the Oklahoma Children’s Hospital. UHAT and OU Health hosted a ceremonial ribbon-cutting in March to celebrate the emergency department expansion. Funded by $7.5 million in ARPA dollars, the project added additional beds to increase capacity and decrease wait times for care, a sensory playroom and flexible rooms designed to accommodate pediatric behavioral health patients. This project was the first to receive SLFRF funds allocated by the state Legislature, and its completion marks tangible progress toward improving the lives of Oklahoma’s children and their families.
In the Tulsa area, the Oklahoma Department of Health (OSDH) is making progress in expanding health care accessibility through the development of Community Health Connection of Oklahoma. CHC understands access to affordable and quality health care services remains one of the greatest challenges in the health care industry. To address these issues, the state Legislature allocated $50 million in funds to increase capacity at community health centers across the state. More than $3.5 million was allocated from OSDH to CHC to assist in the development of facilities to increase access to primary care services. CHC’s Kendall-Whittier location completed renovations in July and reports a 2.5% growth in the number of people they can serve.
This month, our partners at the Department of Commerce will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for one of their subrecipients' projects. The ceremony is for the Eastland Industrial Park Infrastructure project as part of their comprehensive infrastructure and water-needs project for rural industrial parks and ports. The Eastland section included sewage extension, piping and bridge construction, while the North Industrial Park section included sewage and water extension and road improvements for the site. According to the Economic Development Authority, the project should be wrapping in mid-December. $1,372,000 in SLFRF funds of the total $50 million earmarked for the Department of Commerce went to the project in Duncan, OK.
GMO guidance updates
Latest federal guidance
The FFATA Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) is the reporting tool federal prime awardees (i.e., prime contractors and prime grants recipients) use to capture and report subaward and executive compensation data regarding their first-tier subawards to meet FFATA reporting requirements.
The U.S. General Services Administration’s Integrated Award Environment announced it will be retiring FSRS.gov and bringing subaward reporting functions online in SAM.gov in March 2025.
This change primarily impacts fsrs.gov users who report subaward information and executive compensation data. However, it will also impact those who use sam.gov to look for subaward information. Those who previously used sam.gov for subaward information can use usaspending.gov instead.
GSA is hosting a webinar on Dec. 17 at noon to provide more information about this upcoming implementation. Participants will learn:
- How customer experience was incorporated into the design of the new subaward capabilities in sam.gov, and how it will make reporting and searching easier.
- What users need to know, and where and when to get training on new functionality prior to March 2025.
Webinar registration.
More information.
Additionally, in October, the U.S. Department of the Treasury released the latest version of the Compliance and Reporting Guidance for the SLFRF program.
For more federal guidance resources, visit the U.S. Department of the Treasury SLFRF website.
Latest state guidance
As a refresher, we encourage folks to check out the Procurement Information Memorandum (PIM) relating to contract language when using federal funds. The PIM includes references to Attachment G, available on the State Contract Structure page. This PIM and all others can be found in the Purchasing Reference Guide.
GMO has recently refreshed templates live on the web. These templates were updated last spring, and we had a few new additions over the summer. Please ensure that you are using the most up-to-date versions of these reporting templates, located at the bottom of our Subrecipient guidance webpage.
Additionally, if you would like GMO to consider drafting guidance for your agency on any ARPA-SLFRF-related questions or to submit a question to the U.S. Department of the Treasury on your behalf, please complete this ARPA Guidance Request form.
View our newsletter archive.
In this issue ...
Helpful tip
Did you know the ARPA-SLFRF tracker features program information and status updates for all 76 projects?
View the latest on the ARPA-SLFRF tracker.
Press releases and articles
SLFRF success stories
Want to be highlighted in the newsletter or on the ARPA-SLFRF website? Share progress from your SLFRF projects by submitting them to our Outreach team.
Know of any upcoming events? Let us know so we can feature them on the ARPA-SLFRF website!
Available training
FSRS Retirement and Systems Modernization Webinar
Dec. 17 at noon.
Article: Mastering Financial Transparency:
Key Strategies for Audit-Proofing Your Organization
Article: Streamlining Pre- and Post-Award Grants Administration:
Tips and Tools for Efficiency
OMES GMO and Agate Grants Management System webinar training for subrecipients
National Grants Management Association Conference
Mar. 12-14 | Washington, D.C.
If you know of any other training opportunities, please share them with us!
Closed out projects
Oklahoma Water Resources Board
- Ardmore Air Park.
- Fair Oaks Ranch.
- Lugert-Altus Irrigation District.
- OKC 577.
- Port of Inola.
- Tinker Water needs.
University Hospitals Authority and Trust
- OU Health Technology Modernization.
Department of Health
- Redlands project.
- Bethany Children's Health Center.
Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission
- Tulsa Air and Space.
Center for Advancement of Science and Technology
- Fab Lab Tulsa.
Oklahoma Broadband Office
- Administration.
Health Care Workforce Training Commission
- Administration.
Oklahoma Human Services
- Family Safety Centers.
- Tulsa First Step Male Diversion.
- Food Insecurity Grant.
- The Spring Shelter.
Department of Commerce
Visit the ARPA-SLFRF Program Tracker to view summaries for all projects.
Subrecipient recognition
This month, we would like to highlight our partners at CareerTech for their progress in expanding trucking workforce training with the opening of their new training facility at Caddo Kiowa Technology Center (CKTC) in Fort Cobb, OK.
The state Legislature allotted $6.2 million of ARPA-SLFRF funds for the trucking workforce training programs to accelerate the student-to-truck-driver pipeline. Of the total allotted to CareerTech, $2,796,075.19 was disbursed to CKTC for the facility.
CKTC has been providing truck driver training for 34 years, including commercial driver's licenses (CDL), bus certification training and other customized training for industry partners. The center typically trains an average of 175 students every year from across Oklahoma.
The center also partners with a variety of other technology centers to expand their driving-industry offerings. These partnerships include a full-time training site for truck driving students with Western Technology Center in Burns Flat. As well as CDL training opportunities at Southwest Technology Center in Altus and Great Plains Technology Center in Lawton.
“We are excited to see the new facility on our campus and look forward to expanding our training opportunities across our state,” Jennie Nunn, CKTC superintendent, said.
GMO commends CareerTech and CKTC for this milestone and for expanding access to training programs across the state to meet the increased need for qualified truck drivers, as shown by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Grants management news
Oklahoma takes the lead in Centennial preparations with bold new Route 66 grant awards
GMO is excited to spotlight grants programs from across the state to increase awareness for funds that are making an impact in the lives of Oklahomans.
The Oklahoma Department of Commerce is thrilled to announce the latest wave of funding recipients for the Oklahoma Route 66 Grant Program, propelling our state’s Route 66 Centennial preparations to new heights. Oklahoma is leading the charge in the nation, honoring our iconic Route 66 with transformative projects that will captivate visitors and residents alike.
Thirteen innovative projects have been selected in this second round, receiving more than $6.6 million in funding to bring new life and energy to Route 66. These projects represent a dynamic mix of revitalization efforts, cultural preservation and infrastructure improvements, ensuring that Oklahoma remains at the forefront of celebrating America’s Main Street.
Oklahoma gets more broadband funding as it launches service in the west
As the Oklahoma Broadband Office prepares to launch an expansion project, this time in western Oklahoma, it received still more federal funding to bring broadband services to rural areas of the state.
The Oklahoma Broadband Office was approved for an $11.2 million grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to help new internet users effectively access the internet and learn about online services. The grant, totaling $11,233,311, will fund efforts to ensure Oklahomans have the skills, technology and capacity to participate in the digital economy.
Federal grant expands Oklahoma City community violence intervention efforts
A $2 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Justice was recently announced that will help two Oklahoma City nonprofits. This grant will support LiveFree OKC and Diversion Hub's efforts to decrease gun violence and disrupt cycles of incarceration.
The grant will fund their community-based violence intervention and de-escalation among other efforts through 2027. It aims to enhance LiveFree OKC’s violence reduction services and increase access to holistic social service support at Diversion Hub.
Know of any state or local grant programs? Let us know so we can feature them on the ARPA-SLFRF website and in this newsletter!
