Commissioners approve $13.23M in ARPA/FRF grants; grants office outlines new tracking system

Melanie Cooper, the county’s grant manager, told the court the grants office now manages roughly $63 million in federal funds across 107 active projects, has processed $15 million in invoices and holds $21 million in contracts. Cooper detailed new Quickbase and SharePoint tools to centralize grant documents, said the office assigned a grant administrator to each project and announced virtual trainings for departmental grant staff beginning in October to improve invoicing and reporting.

The Grants Committee requested use of ARPA and Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery (FRF) monies to fund $13,234,359.51 in eligible projects; the court approved that allocation by motion. Cooper also presented a contract change order increasing a TDA septic‑project contract by $403,523 to cover required permits and a request to authorize a temporary interfund loan (cap discussed at $1,000,000) to bridge reimbursement timing from the Texas GLO and TDA; both items were approved by the court.

Commissioners discussed producing reports that separate county‑administered grants from city grants and adding a reporting toggle in Quickbase to produce lists of projects administered for local cities. Cooper said the office aims to have all grants entered into the new system by Dec. 17 and to begin FEMA tracking on Jan. 1 for disaster costs.