THE $1.9 TRILLION “American Rescue Plan” will send $50.6 million to Garden Grove (Shutterstock).

The $1.9 trillion “American Rescue Plan” to combat the coronavirus and its effects on the economy will make an estimated $50.6 million available for Garden Grove, the city council was told Tuesday night.

City Manager Scott Stiles, noting that the decline in business activity triggered by the shutdown on many businesses cost the city over $25 million in tax revenue from hotels, called the ARP “a godsend to us in continuing to provide services to the community.”

Toward the end of Tuesday night’s meeting, Stiles and other city executives outlined in general terms how the money could and might be spent. The first part of Garden Grove’s share of Uncle Sam’s money should arrive within 60 to 70 says, Stiles said. The second chunk would be expected by June 2022, and all the money needs to be spent by the end of 2024.

Possible uses for the largess would include infrastructure repair and replacement, spurring economic development and addressing “quality of life” areas such as code enforcement, parks, signage, graffiti and homelessness.

One major potential project is a new police headquarters building, replacing the one built in the early 1970s on Acacia Parkway. Stiles also noted that the city – in seeking to balance the budget – had “defunded” 22 positions, many of them in the public works department. Restoring those jobs might be a priority as well, he indicated.

The rules for the use of the ARP money do prohibit its use for reducing unfunded pension liability.

Also on Tuesday night, the council approved on a 5-2 vote a municipal code amendment bringing Garden Grove’s rules on accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units in line with new state law.