Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Judge: $150,000 in ARPA funds used to clear blighted properties, aid indigent defendants in Shelby County Environmental Court
Summary
Judge Patrick Gendridge told the Personnel/Government Affairs Committee on Jan. 7 that $150,000 in ARPA funds for indigent defendants and environmental‑court remediation had been nearly fully spent on contractors who cleared properties, removed hazardous overgrowth and repaired homes to bring defendants into compliance.
Shelby County Environmental Court Judge Patrick Gendridge told the Personnel/Government Affairs Committee on Jan. 7 that $150,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds allocated to an indigent‑defense foundation were nearly fully spent on property repairs and cleanups that permitted indigent or elderly defendants to come into compliance with city codes.
“I want you to know it was well spent,” Gendridge said, adding the account was exhausted except for $69.65. He described multiple before‑and‑after cases in which yard cleaning, siding repair, overgrowth removal and limited demolition allowed properties to be brought into compliance and therefore removed from repeat court dockets.
Why it matters: Judge Gendridge said the funds allowed contractors to perform work that otherwise would have remained undone because…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
