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Health department loses a grant, shifts funds to buy an XRF and moves some staff funding between funds
Summary
County health officials told the Human Services Criminal Justice Committee that a pandemic-related grant was terminated and unspent money was clawed back; the department will zero out the grant fund, buy a new XRF machine for lead risk assessment and shift some staff from the HFI fund to the county health fund.
St. Joseph County health officials told the Human Services Criminal Justice Committee that a federal or state pandemic-era grant had been terminated and unspent funds were reclaimed, and the department is moving to reallocate other available funds to replace needed equipment and maintain services.
Amy Rupi, director of finance for the Department of Health, said the grant in fund 8952 was terminated effective March 24 and the unspent amounts were clawed back by the granting agency. “Anything that was unspent was unfortunately lost,” Rupi said. Committee members clarified that “lost” meant the funds were reclaimed by the grantor because pandemic-related spending authority ended.
Rupi also presented a separate transfer of $30,000 to purchase a new XRF (X-ray fluorescence) unit for lead risk assessments. The department said one of its two XRF machines is older and frequently out for repair; the department wants two functioning units so both lead risk assessors can work in the field. Rupi said the department had planned a PFAS water study but is deferring it because recent funding reductions for other health grants reduce available dollars.
The department also requested a net-zero salary amendment to move several staff currently paid from the local public health services (HFI) fund into the county health fund because a new law requires screening HFI-funded clients for Indiana residency and lawful presence. Rupi said moving those positions to the county fund would allow the department to continue offering services to all clients.
What the committee did: The committee voted to forward the appropriation reductions (zeroing the terminated grant), the XRF purchase, and the fund-shift salary amendment to the full council with favorable recommendations.
Next steps: The items will appear on the full council agenda. Health staff said they will continue seeking outside grants for studies such as PFAS but currently have not identified replacement funding.
