HERMANN — The regional agency that administered Gasconade County’s CARES Act funding is asking what the county will do with the remaining $65,000 as it anticipates the next round — an even larger amount — of federal stimulus dollars that will be coming to the area.

There are several applications for a portion of the remaining CARES Act money that has been dispensed since mid-2020. Of the $1.725-million allotment to Gasconade County, all but about $65,000 has been appropriated to local government agencies, businesses and non-profit organizations to cover everything from reimbursement for disinfectant supplies to lost revenue for businesses to a new vehicle for the county coroner and new computers and radios for the Sheriff's Department.

The Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) contracted with Gasconade County — and six of the other counties in the 8-county region — to administer the CARES Act money. Applications for funding were received by MRPC, processed for legitimacy by that agency and a recommendation made to the County Commission about payment to the applicants. The County Commission has the final say on dispersing the funds.

County officials know how much money they will be receiving as part of the latest coronavirus-related stimulus package — $2.852 million, allocated in two payments of about $1.4 million each — but they don’t know when they’ll get it. Nor do they know any of the parameters for allocating the funds. However, under this stimulus package, municipalities will receive their own share of the funding, rather than having to apply as they did with the CARES Act program.

Regarding the CARES Act program, initially counties had until Dec. 30 to allocate the money; any leftover funds were to be returned to the federal treasury. However, some counties sat on most of their allotment while others apparently had difficulty in dispersing the  money. Gov. Mike Parson granted counties an extension: They have until June 1 to allocate the funds.

In other matters, the County Commission last week increased county government’s participation in the employees’ health insurance program, approving a $10-per-month increase in the county’s payment on behalf of the employees. The new amount, $610, is effective now and the county’s contribution could go higher later. The employees’ Health Care Team formally requested a $50-a-month increase in the 2022 budget to help offset anticipated increases in insurance for health, dental and vision coverage.

The increase for this year was minimal, according to Health Care Team Chairman Joann Bickmeyer, who made the presentation to the Commission. “We were lucky this year,” she said, noting that the rate for the employees rose only 2 percent.

The reason for such a low increase, she said, had a lot to do with the coronavirus pandemic. “People did not go to the doctor; they did a lot of telehealth,” Bickmeyer said. County government employees — there are 41 employees — also benefited from being part of a larger group. “Being in a pool with other entities helped us,” she said.

Southern District Associate Commissioner Jerry Lairmore, R-Owensville, proposed the increase in the amount the county provides, although he cautioned that depending on economics the employees might have to dip into their own pockets to help pay for insurance coverage. “Sooner or later, the employees will have to pay,” he said.

Presiding Commissioner Larry Miskel, R-Hermann, joined Lairmore in voting for the increase. Northern District Associate Commissioner Jim Holland, R-Hermann, voted against, noting that he thinks the increase should be approved as part of the annual budget process.