Greene County adopts ARPA compliance policies, extends record retention to five years

Greene County commissioners voted to adopt a resolution formally approving American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) policies that align county procedures with state guidance. Speaker 6 reported that a recent state compliance review recommended the county adopt templates for an internal control policy and a conflict-of-interest policy to keep ARPA-funded projects compliant.

"The annual settlement for fiscal year 25–26…the main change is that the standard requirement for retention of records…is bumped up to 5 years," Speaker 6 said, explaining that the five‑year retention requirement applies to ARPA projects and is intended to address state audit expectations.

Commissioner Speaker 4 moved to approve the resolution and Speaker 1 called the question; the board voted to adopt the policies and the motion carried. Speaker 6 emphasized the change is limited to ARPA-related projects and does not automatically replace existing county-wide policies: "These policies are strictly towards…coronavirus state and local fiscal recovery funds."

The resolution directs staff to provide the adopted ARPA policy documents to the state compliance office to demonstrate Greene County's adherence to applicable federal and state requirements. No formal penalties or sanctions were announced during the meeting; Speaker 6 framed the action as proactive compliance to reduce the potential for future state audit findings.

The board recorded no amendments to the resolution during debate. The adoption closes a compliance gap cited by the state reviewer but leaves county officials responsible for ensuring day-to-day recordkeeping matches the new standard.