Commissioners reallocate gas-tax, CARES and forest-reserve funds to cover road gravel bills and seed Flint Creek dam work

County commissioners on Tuesday heard a detailed budget update from county finance staff showing recent gravel invoices and other road work had exhausted the county gas-tax account and would require line-item shifts or use of reserve funds to avoid drawing deeper on the roads fund. Sarah Grant, county staff member, told the commissioners that gravel bills that have arrived “emptied out the gas-tax fund,” and proposed increasing the gas-tax line to $169,000 and moving remaining balance needs into the roads fund to reduce a larger charge to the roads account. She said the change would limit the amount that must be journal-vouchered out of the roads fund. The discussion expanded into a broader funding plan for the Flint Creek dam and related forest access work. Commissioners and staff reviewed several restricted and one-time funding sources: an 85,000 balance in a forest-reserve account, approximately 96,000 in CARES Act money and ARPA and LATCF monies that have been earmarked for a county elevator and ADA work. Staff proposed using half of the CARES balance and drawing from the forest-reserve and ARPA where allowable to provide initial cash flow for the Flint Creek project while grant applications (two were noted as pending) are being resolved. County staff cautioned that each restricted fund has rules and timelines. Grant said some CARES and forest-reserve dollars must be allocated by Dec. 31 for the coming fiscal period, and the county should confirm allowable uses with the agencies administering each fund before spending them on the dam or road access work. Commissioners asked staff to verify allowable uses and confirm whether the Forest Service would permit use of its reserve funds for dam-related access and bridge work. The commissioners approved a set of line-item changes to cover the immediate gravel invoices, directing staff to: move $10,000 into the Colbert line, shift culvert spending as discussed, and use a portion of CARES and forest-reserve funds as staff confirms eligibility and timing. Staff said this sequence would lessen the immediate outflow from the roads fund and create a limited cash cushion for the Flint Creek improvements while grant decisions are pending. The board did not adopt a final, detailed spending schedule for the dam project; commissioners instead asked staff to return with confirmations of allowable expenditures from federal/grant sources and a short implementation timetable. Ending: The board’s action leaves staff to follow up with the Forest Service and grant administrators to confirm allowable expenditures and to return with a detailed plan. Commissioners emphasized managing reserves carefully so routine road maintenance is not undercut while pursuing one-time project funding for Flint Creek.