The Livingston County Board of Commissioners (BOC) on Monday approved a plan for spending the nearly $37.3 million in COVID relief funds that it received through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021.
In fashioning the spending plan, the BOC requested input from county department leaders, as well as the public.
After receiving more than 120 proposals totaling over $85 million — well over double the ARPA funds the county received — commissioners are proposing that COVID relief funds be spent on a variety of projects: On the county level, the BOC plan includes nearly $6.2 million for infrastructure projects, $1.85 million for the animal shelter expansion, and $12.5 million for broadband.
First on the broadband horizon would be completing the loop to Putnam and Unadilla townships to which local projects can connect.
The BOC is also proposing to use $1,260,000 of COVID relief funds on a variety of projects in the community, including:
• $450,000 for Livingston County senior centers
• $400,000 for the Finance and Asset Management Committee and the BOC for external community projects
• $150,000 ($30,000 per Livingston County school district) to implement Reaching Higher programs
• $100,000 for Livingston County Senior Nutrition
• $56,000 for the Salvation Army’s summer lunch break program
• $40,000 for Community Mental Health outreach, support and education
• $20,000 for Bountiful Harvest’s request for feeding those in need in Livingston County
• $20,000 for the Livingston Family Center Emergency Shelter
• $20,000 for the Howell Nature Center’s request for an outdoor teen activity center
• $4,000 for the Family Emergency Readiness Expo
There are still additional steps to be taken before funding on the community projects is authorized. For each external recipient, the county will draft a sub-recipient agreement that will need to go back to the BOC for final approval before funds are released.
2022-12-192
