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Clermont County commissioners move to advance three ARPA projects — Veterans Village, county broadband loop and crisis center
Summary
The board voted to direct staff to prepare subrecipient agreements and advance ARPA funding requests for three projects: Veterans Village ($5,128,056 gap), a county campus broadband loop ($4,500,000) and renovations for a crisis receiving center ($1,391,000). Commissioners said the awards will be structured as subrecipient agreements and returned for final approval.
The Clermont County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 16 voted to advance three projects for potential ARPA funding, directing staff to prepare subrecipient agreements and work with partners on final contracts.
The board approved motions to move forward with: $5,128,056 in proposed assistance for Veterans Village, a proposed housing project for veterans; $4,500,000 for a county campus broadband fiber loop connecting the county’s three main campuses; and $1,391,000 toward renovation costs for a crisis receiving center intended for short‑term behavioral‑health stabilization.
Chris McClintock, the county’s economic development director, said Veterans Village is intended to produce about 84 units (22 one‑bedroom and 62 two‑bedroom units) on roughly 10 acres and would include project‑based HUD‑VASH vouchers (28 units) and a VA commitment to provide about $1 million in services over the life of the contract. The total project cost is estimated at roughly $9.5 million; McClintock said about $4.4 million had been raised and the listed $5.128 million was the remaining funding gap the housing authority and partners need to close.
On broadband, McClintock and information‑services staff described an earlier county feasibility study that recommended a county‑run middle‑mile loop but said the state and UltaFiber announced a regional $130 million project covering Clermont, Brown and Adams counties. The county proposals now focus on a shorter, county‑campus loop to interconnect Filager, Bauer and downtown campuses; staff estimated underground construction at roughly $4.5 million and recommended moving forward to engineered construction and a competitive bid process.
Leanne Watson of the Mental Health and Recovery Board described the crisis receiving center as a 23‑hour observation and stabilization facility designed to reduce emergency‑room visits and frequent arrests for behavioral‑health crises. Renovation estimates totaled about $2.4 million; the board has applied for state capital funds and expects a remaining building renovation shortfall of about $1.4 million.
County finance staff (Ryan) told commissioners the three projects can be handled via subrecipient agreements and that the ARPA final rules permit funding for crisis care, affordable housing and certain broadband projects when they meet federal requirements. The board instructed staff to prepare agreements and return the packages to the board for formal award and final execution.
Next steps: staff will draft subrecipient agreements and circulate them to the appropriate vendors and partners; the board will consider final approvals when the agreements and vendor responses return to the commission.
