Orange County Insight 12/2020

In the category of Broadband Access Emergency Projects, the County has allocated funds for the purchase of three mobile “ smart pods ” for funding ($180,000) which would create mobile hotspots that could be deployed and positioned depending on the particular need in the community at any point in time. An expansion of the existing wi - fi network at the Main Library is also included as more citizens take advantage of this resource. A special allocation through the Virginia Fast Track Broadband initiative was received totaling $1,999,620 to construct a wireless network throughout the County to facilitate students accessing the virtual learning platform in use by the Orange County Public School System. The wireless network is also available for small business owners and others to conduct business remotely due to COVID.

The chart below reflects the current budget for the County ’ s COVID response.

All Cares Act funds expenditures must be incurred, and services implemented by the end of calendar year 2020. The CARES Act provides that payments from the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) may only be used to cover costs that: • are necessary expenditures incurred due to the public health emergency with respect to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID– 19); • were not accounted for in the budget most recently approved as of March 27, 2020 (the date of enactment of the CARES Act) for the State or government; and

• were incurred during the period that begins on March 1, 2020, and ends on December 30, 2020.

Page 12 | December 2020

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