CLEVELAND — Editor's note: the video in the player above is from a previously published, unrelated story.
Cleveland City Council on Monday passed a plan detailing how they will use more than $500 million in COVID-19 funds from the federal government.
The city is receiving roughly $512 million from the American Rescue Plan Act, with significant portions going toward Cleveland's overall financial recovery.
More than 20 percent- nearly $110 million- will go into the city's General Fund that will aid in recouping revenue lost from the coronavirus pandemic.
The second-largest beneficiary? Public Safety.
In total, more than $26.3 million will be distributed among the Cleveland Division of Police ($10.2 million), Cleveland Division of Fire ($3.6 million), Emergency Medical Services ($7.8 million), and Animal Control and IT Safety received $5 million.
According to City Council, the monies will be used to upgrade equipment, vehicles and computers, as well as pay for 15 new ambulances for EMS.
More than $80 million will go to the Departments of Community and Economic Development and $15 million for the Department of Building and Housing.
3News' Lydia Esparra spoke with Cleveland resident Nozomi Ikuta who said that she thinks it's important that people like her "have an opportunity to have that voice and discern together how at least a portion of this money should be spent."
Ikuta's criticism comes less than six months after Cleveland officials put out a call for residents to suggest what the city should do with the money. The Cleveland resident also adds that she thinks a portion of the money should go towards people who cannot help themselves.
"People who want mental health services, homeless shelters, or people who want a place for their kids to play," Ikuta suggested to Esparra. "The basic nuts and bolts that they can see are affecting their lives.”
The second half of the money is expected to be released in May 2022 and Cleveland City Councilman Joe Jones says he would like to see that money spent differently.
“if we don't establish funds and finances towards the direction of making our city safe and we don’t make it a major priority with the resources we have, people are going to leave the city of Cleveland," Jones said.
Previous reporting of this story: