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Grant County commissioners forward $1.0M'$1.16M ARPA requests and $700,000 boiler plan to county council
Summary
The Grant County Board of Commissioners voted Sept. 3 to forward four ARPA spending requests to the county council, including $700,000 to replace a failing boiler/chiller, $1,163,281.24 for public-safety radios, $1,000,000 for highway equipment limited to an Exhibit A list, and $87,127.92 to repair the Salem Bank Building elevator.
Grant County commissioners on Sept. 3 approved motions to send four American Rescue Plan Act spending requests to the county council for further consideration. The items are a proposed $700,000 replacement for a boiler/chiller at 501 South Adams; $1,163,281.24 for countywide public-safety radios for the sheriff's department, EMS, highway dispatch and EMA; $1,000,000 for highway equipment constrained to a submitted Exhibit A list; and $87,127.92 to repair the elevator in the Salem Bank Building.
President (unnamed) said the boiler/chiller at the D Home is at "the end of its useful life," and commissioners discussed urgency because the elevator repair timeline was estimated at 13 weeks. Commissioners voted by voice to move the boiler, radios and elevator repair proposals to the county council for discussion or approval.
Commissioner Rice moved to include the highway department's equipment list as Exhibit A and to limit the $1,000,000 ARPA request to the nine items on that list; the board approved the motion. The equipment list presented for inclusion on Exhibit A includes a roll-off truck and dumpsters; an oil distributor truck; a full-width chipper box; two tire rollers; an XL 3,100-grade compactor (as described by the department); a large excavator; a grader; a mower; and a mini excavator. Commissioners emphasized the $1,000,000 cap and discussed the department's plan to seek used-equipment purchases to stretch the allocation.
Public comment included a technical question about whether the proposed boiler would be sized for the facility or simply replace existing capacity. A member of the public asked if the $700,000 figure accounted for increased capacity needs; commissioners said they would "dive into that a little bit more" as the items go to the council.
The board also discussed a separate, proposed $300,000 ARPA allocation for acquiring cemetery land but agreed to hold that request pending confirmation from the city or trustee that acquisition steps are in place. Commissioners asked for an update by Oct. 1 and said the item could return for action at the Oct. 7 meeting.
Next steps: the four ARPA items will be presented to the county council for its consideration; no ARPA funds were spent at the Sept. 3 meeting and the council retains final approval authority.
