At its June 1 meeting, Roanoke City Council established a Task Force to make recommendation to Council regarding the use of the Star City Strong Recovery Fund. This fund has been established to provide financial resources to support the community’s recovery from COVID-19 and strengthen its long-term resiliency. The fund draws upon General Fund revenue, CDBG-CV/ESG funds, and CARES Act funds, and will include at least $1 million.
The Task Force will be co-chaired by Mayor Sherman Lea and Vice-Mayor Joe Cobb; City Manager Bob Cowell will serve as an ex-officio member. The Task Force will be composed of a diverse group of stakeholders representing the following sectors: Citizens, health care/bio-medical research, hospitality/entertainment, small businesses, manufacturing, outdoor recreation, vulnerable population/non-profits, arts and culture, and education interests.
Applications to be approved will be selected by the Mayor, Vice-Mayor, and members of City Council; the City Manager; and key organizations as follows:
- The Mayor will select 4 applications for appointment (General Citizens).
- The Vice-Mayor will select 3 applications for appointment (General Citizens).
- City Council members will select 16 applications for appointment – two from each of the sectors mentioned above, plus 1 application representing the Latinx Community.
- The City Manager will select 8 applications for appointment – one from each of the sectors referenced above.
- The Roanoke Chapter of the NAACP will select 1 application for appointment.
- The Roanoke Chapter of the SCLC will select 1 application for appointment.
The Task Force will assemble on June 19, and it is anticipated their recommendations to City Council will be delivered at the July 20 Council meeting.
City residents interested in serving on the Task Force are asked to complete and submit an application, which can be found on the City’s website here, no later than 5 p.m. on June 11. If you have any questions about the application please contact the City Clerk’s Office at 540-853-2541.
Appointments to the Task Force will be approved by City Council at their meeting on June 15. Additional information about the City’s recovery efforts may be found at the City’s website on the Star City Strong subpage at this link.
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