County allocates remainder of ARPA funding
Times photo/Bruce Roberts
Ralph and Kay Johnson enjoyed eating lunch on the newly rebuilt covered porch at The Center last week. Funding for the porch project was provided through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, disbursed by the Ozark County Commissioners. Rick Meyers and his crew completed the work.
Ozark County has now earmarked or spent all of the nearly $1.8 million in federal covid-19 relief funding from the American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) that was given to the county in 2021 and 2022.
The county received $891,764 in ARPA funds in 2021 and is set to receive about $890,000 in 2022.
Latest ARPA funding earmarked
Ozark County Commissioners on Monday voted to disburse the remaining ARPA funds to three entities, with the lion’s share of the recent funding going to the sheriff’s department for salary reimbursements for the time period of November 2021 through July 22 of 2022. The sheriff’s department had asked for $120,000 but was given $109,871.35.
Also approved Monday was ARPA funding for:
• $44,900 to Ozark Outdoor Adventures Youth Camp in Gainesville for touchless fixtures and improvements to bathroom facilities.
• $8,720 to Christos House in West Plains for fuel, wages, etc. Christos House is a domestic abuse shelter for women that serves several counties, including Ozark County.
Past ARPA funding disbursements
Previous 2022 ARPA disbursements include:
• $171,968 to Comsec Consulting for electronic and security improvements to the Ozark County Jail.
• $86,184 to Gainesville Health Care Center for improvements.
• $83,000 to Gainesville Saddle Club for improvements.
• $57,000 to Ozark County Senior Citizens Center for improvements.
• $24,480 to Overhead Door Company of Springfield for automatic doors for the courthouse.
• $9,413 to the Ozark County Library for HVAC improvements.
• $8,500 to Hammond Mill Camp for improvements.
In 2021, ARPA money was allocated for:
• $183,197 to the sheriff’s department for salaries and expenses.
• $629.12 to Adams and Sons LLC for HVAC improvements to the courthouse.
• $111.87 to Gainesville Building Supply for supplies for courthouse improvements.
• $49.50 to the Ozark County Times for a legal notice advertising for bids for automatic doors for the courthouse.
$1 million allocated to WRVEC fiber optic internet
In addition to the ARPA money already spent or allocated, commissioners have also earmarked $1 million as a local commitment to White River Valley Electric Cooperative for a $250 million fiber-optic internet initiative.