Commission signs off on distribution of first round of ARPA funding

By Buck Collier, Special Correspondent
Posted 5/25/22

HERMANN — After earlier approving requests for about a half-million dollars in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, the Gasconade County Commission Thursday morning signed the necessary …

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Commission signs off on distribution of first round of ARPA funding

Posted

HERMANN — After earlier approving requests for about a half-million dollars in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, the Gasconade County Commission Thursday morning signed the necessary paperwork — the last act needed before the checks are cut to the recipients.

Eleven of the requests are from so-called “beneficiaries” of ARPA money — businesses, government agencies and non-profit organizations seeking a share of the funds to cover loss of revenue. Another half-dozen requests were submitted by applicants in the “sub-recipients” category — those who are proposing use the money for some type of infrastructure project.

While beneficiaries can use the money as they see fit, the sub-recipients are required to submit documents to Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) showing where the money was spent, according to Kelly Sink of MRPC.

The regional planning commission is acting as the administrator of the ARPA funds for all eight counties within the Meramec Region. Sink attended Thursday’s County Commission session, bearing a banker’s box-full of documents to be signed by the three Gasconade County government administrators.

After this round of distribution, there is about $900,000 of ARPA money remaining from the first half of the county’s allocation from the federal government. The second $1.4-million portion is scheduled to be received this month, completing the total of slightly more than $2.8 million aimed at helping the local economy recover from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

The recipients within the “beneficiaries” group and the amounts approved for them at Thursday’s session include:

Hermann Area Ambulance District, $50,000; Just Call Me Ray Foundation of Hermann, $9,000; Hermann VFW Post 4182, $47,000; Owensville VFW Post, $50,000; Hermann Area Crusade Against Cancer, $23,927; Gasconade County Historical Society, $18,075; Artworks on Main in Owensville, $3,125; Granny’s Cafe, $30,530; Ferals in Peril of Hermann, $7,075; Owensville Area Ambulance District, $50,000; and Show Boat Theatre of Hermann, $50,000.

Recipients of funds for infrastructure work are:

Public Water Supply District 1, which serves the Peaceful Valley subdivision, $50,000; Zelch Farms of Rosebud, $40,000; Community Foundation of the Hermann Area, $50,000; Tiny Tots daycare of Owensville, $43,986; the city of Morrison, $34,471; Newell Design LLC, $50,000. The award to Morrison will be handled through an intergovernmental agreement with the county. The award to Newell Design LLC is for a training program.

The Round 2 proposal for the ARPA funds has been issued by MRPC and the agency’s website updated to reflect the next round of applications. Sink said there is significant interest among potential applicants for a share of the money yet to be allocated.

“I’ve been getting quite a few calls,” she said.

The deadline for businesses, governmental agencies and non-profit groups to apply for a share of the funding is Aug. 1. The county Commission and Sink at that time will review the applications on hand and the Commission will decide how much to award to each of those approved for funding.

At the outset of the ARPA program, county officials agreed on a maximum of $50,000 per application; however, as the federal guidelines changed regarding the use of the money, county administrators lifted the cap on a maximum amount being sought.

The primary rules for using ARPA money is that the funds be committed for use by the end of 2024 and the dollars actually spent by the end of 2026 — an expanded timeframe to allow recipients with significant infrastructure projects to line up what can be lengthy preliminary engineering work.

In addition to the projects being proposed by outside organizations, Gasconade County officeholders are pressing the county commission to use what could be a big chunk of the ARPA funds for upgrades to the historic courthouse – including calls for the construction of an county government annex on the courthouse property. 

First proposed a decade ago, an annex was estimated to cost $1.1 million. Ten years later, county officials speculated development of the building that was envisioned initially would cost double or triple that amount.

Businesses and organizations wishing to apply for a portion of the ARPA money should contact MRPC via its website at meramecregion.org or by contacting Sink at 573-265-2993.