Cleveland County leadership is asking for public input to identify needs and to suggest solutions for addressing the impact of the pandemic. This information will be used to help the county develop a response and recovery strategy consistent with federal guidelines.
Cleveland County is receiving $55 million in federal dollars to address impacts of COVID-19 and to promote recovery throughout our communities. County representatives are meeting with a wide range of stakeholders throughout the county to identify areas of need based on the impact of COVID-19, but the county’s public survey, now available online, allows for feedback from all Cleveland County residents.
“We want to hear from the public,” said Board of County Commissioners chair, Darry Stacy. “We are implementing a process that allows for the widest range of public input available, regardless of where someone lives or what hours they work.”
The county contracted with 929 Strategies to assist it through the process of checking requests for eligibility in accordance with federal guidelines and in distributing funds on an equitable basis.
“This survey allows a broad range of access for people to tell us how they were impacted by the pandemic and the areas they would like us to address with these funds,” Stacy said.
Data from the survey will be used in determining the priorities and needs of the community that the county is allowed to address under federal guidelines.
Cleveland County’s survey is online at https://clevelandcountyok.com/368/COVID-19-Recovery-Plan. On that page, click on the “Share your story” link to fill out the public survey.
According to federal guidelines, the funds can be used to support public health expenditures to mitigate COVID-19 and support behavioral services and healthcare, address negative economic impacts caused by the public health emergency, replace lost public sector revenue by funding government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue experienced due to the pandemic, and invest in water, sewer and broadband infrastructure.