Montgomery County is getting financial relief from the federal government in the response to the coronavirus, the Board of Commissioners learned Tuesday.
The county will receive more than $1.2 million in CARES Act funding to handle “unforeseen financial needs and risks created by the COVID-19 public health emergency,” county attorney Dan Taylor told commissioners during their virtual meeting.
The money can be used to pay public safety and public health employees on the county’s payroll, and “although there are many other rules about what might qualify, that gives us a good start on how we might use the funds,” Taylor said.
Counties may also spend on the funds on providing COVID-19 testing, virus-related ambulance transports, obtaining and distributing personal protective equipment for essential workers and disinfecting county facilities, according to federal guidance.
Another federal grant will help the local criminal justice system respond to the pandemic. The county will receive more than $85,000 from the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Program through the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.
The funding is geared toward law enforcement, courts, probation departments, public defenders and prosecutor’s offices. A total of 76 counties were eligible for about $7.1 million from the program.
The money will be shared with other local governments and agencies. Auditor Jennifer Andel said her office has met with city leaders and other stakeholders to discuss how to spend the funds. The fund will assist with the expenses through January 2022.
In other business, commissioners:
• Scheduled a public hearing for June 22 on ordinances to vacate two county roads.
The roads that would no longer be open for public travel are Sycamore Street between Ladoga Road and C.R. 400E and Maple Street between Ladoga Road and Elm Street, both in Whitesville.
County administrator Mark Casteel also recommended renaming two county roads in Whitesville that have New Ross addresses, creating confusion for emergency responders.
• Opened bids totaling $21,148 from Form it Up Concrete and Fishero & Fishero for concrete work on the Memorial Drive entrance to the Montgomery County Highway Department. The winning bid will be awarded June 8.
