Gasconade County has received a so-called “clean” audit after a review of its use of $1.7 million of CARES Act money — the first round of federal dollars tied to the coronavirus pandemic.

“No deficiencies found,” County Clerk Lesa Lietzow told the County Commission at last week’s session, held at Owensville City Hall.

Initially, the money was aimed at reimbursing public-service agencies for costs incurred dealing with the virus. However, the program’s parameters quickly changed and counties allocated the funds for a variety of uses, including helping businesses and non-profit organizations recoup revenue lost to the pandemic.

Other beneficiaries of the CARES Act money were the Gasconade County Sheriff’s Department, which used the money to purchase new radios and on-board computers for department vehicles, and the Hermann Regional Economic Development Corporation, which was awarded $50,000 based on an application that said the money would be used to fund such things as a walking trail and guest speakers talking about economic development.

County administrators set aside part of the money for courthouse projects that include touchless water fountains and new doors for the courthouse that include an automatic opener on the main set of doors — all aimed at preventing the spread of the virus. More than a year after the order was placed for the new doors, county officials still are awaiting their arrival.

Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) contracted with Gasconade County to administer the county’s CARES Act money; the agency vetted the applications and usually offered a recommendation on the requests for funding. The Commission had the final say in allocating the money. MRPC provided the detailed documentation for the funding to the auditing firm working on behalf of state government, which provided the $1.7 million to the county.

“We received a clean audit for our handling of the CARES Act funding,” Lietzow said.

Attention now focuses on the use of $2.8 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money. Half of that money is already in hand; the other $1.4 million is scheduled to arrive in May.

Like the CARES Act program, the parameters of the ARPA program have changed and Missouri counties wasted little time taking advantage of perhaps the most substantial change: County government now can claim up to $10 million for lost revenue without showing a revenue loss. In larger counties such as Franklin, about half of the ARPA allocation can be claimed by county government. For smaller counties such as Gasconade, all of its ARPA funding can be claimed.

How that money will be used in Gasconade is unclear; administrators have yet to craft a new plan for allocating some of the money to outside agencies, businesses and non-profit organizations or deciding what county government projects will be funded with the money.

Of the five categories originally offered for use of the money, the County Commission settled on three. In light of the County Commission decision to claim all $2.8 million under the revenue-loss provision, MRPC recently asked if the county wanted to keep in place the three categories selected earlier or expand use of the money to the other two categories.

Presiding Commissioner Larry Miskel, R-Hermann, said last week that the current plan should remain in place, at least for the time being.

“My recommendation is, on a short-term basis, keep the same categories we have,” he said. However, he said the county would lift the $50,000 maximum-per-application policy. In the meantime, he said, “We need to review the new categories” to determine if they are appropriate uses of the money.

The three categories agreed on by the Commission for ARPA money are steps to address negative economic impacts caused by the pandemic, including economic harm to workers, households,small businesses, industries and public agencies; replacing lost public-sector revenue loss; investing in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure.

The two categories initially rejected by the Commission would have ARPA money used to support public health expenditures such as steps aimed at COVID-19 mitigation efforts, medical expenses and certain public health and safety staff expenses; and providing premium pay for essential workers.

In other matters at last week’s session, the Commission was introduced to the new chief of the county’s University of Missouri Extension Center. Elizabeth Anderson has succeeded Lydia Nipper as the interim county engagement specialist, the top staffer at the center. Anderson is a county economic development specialist and her agency will be taking part in an upcoming economic development conference sponsored by the Union Area Chamber of Commerce.

“I’m not sure how long I’m ‘interim,’ but I want to do more than keep a seat warm,” Anderson told the Commission. “We’re just going to make sure to keep things rolling,” she added.

Miskel, who has sat on the county’s Extension Center board for nine years, applauded the work done by the organization. “It’s something we all support,” he said.

The administrators also approved a set of bids for Road Department materials, except cutting edges used for grading roads. At a bid price of $177 per cutting edge, the Commission rejected the offer. 

“We have to find something else,” said Southern District Associate Commissioner Jerry Lairmore, R-Owensville. Lairmore last week questioned the amount being bid for the piece of equipment. He made the formal motion to seek new bids for the cutting edges.

Miskel agreed. “At the current price, we’re not going to accept it,” he said.

Approved were bids for herbicide spray, concrete and concrete reinforcing bars.