Broward County Commission Regular Meeting
Director's Name: Mark D. Bogen
Department: County Commission
Information
Requested Action
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MOTION TO AUTHORIZE and direct the County Administrator to reimburse the applicable contractors the actual amount of specified employer-side payroll expenses, up to a total not-to-exceed amount of $100,000 for all contractors, incurred as a result of the contractors’ distribution of the one-time payment previously approved by the Board to eligible workers providing janitorial services or transit-related services at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic; and to authorize the County Administrator to take any action necessary, including administrative or budgetary actions and negotiation and execution of contractual documents, to effectuate same, subject to Office of the County Attorney review of any contractual documents as to legal sufficiency. (Commissioner Bogen)
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Why Action is Necessary
Board authorization is necessary to authorize and direct the referenced action.
What Action Accomplishes
Authorizes and directs the County Administrator to take the referenced action.
Is this Action Goal Related
No
Previous Action Taken
Summary Explanation/Background
On December 14, 2021 (Item 56), the County Commission approved a one-time additional payment of up to $1,000 per eligible worker who provided janitorial services or transit-related services at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding source for the payments to the eligible workers is the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA”). To effectuate the payments, amendments were prepared to the County’s contracts with the contractors that employ the eligible workers, providing that the County would pay the contractor the aggregate amount of the payments to its eligible workers and the contractor would distribute the appropriate amount to each eligible worker.
One of the contractors has requested that the County also pay the employer-side costs associated with distributing these payments to the eligible workers, namely FICA, Medicare, federal and state unemployment, workers’ compensation, and general liability/umbrella insurance expenses (“employer-side payroll expenses”). The employer-side payroll expenses may total as much as 20% of the total payment to the eligible workers. Reimbursement of these employer-side payroll expenses through ARPA funds does not appear to be permitted.
This item, if approved, would authorize and direct the County Administrator to enter into appropriate contractual arrangements with each of the applicable contractors to reimburse their employer-side payroll expenses actually incurred (or estimated amounts with a subsequent reconciliation, if actual amounts are uncertain) as a result of the distribution of the payments to the eligible workers, so that the contractors are not adversely impacted financially by providing these one-time payments.
Source of Additional Information
Fiscal Impact
Fiscal Impact/Cost Summary
Not to exceed $100,000, funded by any legally permissible funding source, which may include the County general fund.