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County outlines ARPA redistribution and EMS gap request; cities asked to record action items
Summary
Commissioners described roughly $180,000 in leftover ARPA/COVID funds and proposed distributing smaller sums to municipalities that submit city-council action items; the special service district also asked COG members to consider a $50,000 gap-funding contribution to address EMS wage shortfalls.
Commissioners told the COG that after prior allocations there remained about $180,000 in ARPA/COVID funds the county would like to delegate to cities that have submitted requests. Examples discussed included $200,000 requested earlier by one municipality, $62,500 by another, and $100,000 for a third; after those allocations the county estimated roughly $30,000 would remain for other applicants.
The commission asked each city to place a formal agenda item on its council calendar describing what it would spend any allocated ARPA funds on so the county could move quickly to distribute the money, ideally in June. The county representative said the process does not strictly require $30,000 per city and that cities may combine the funds with other sources if they prefer.
Separately, the special service district presented a request for approximately $50,000 in gap funding to sustain EMS operations, noting the shortfall is primarily wage-related. The district provided a per-municipality breakdown for the year and asked COG members to include the funding request in their municipal budgets as a voluntary contribution; participants discussed voluntary banners and recognition for contributing towns.
No binding appropriation was approved during the COG meeting; commissioners asked cities to take action items to their councils and return decisions to the county for disbursement and coordination.
