Olivia P. Tucker
Times Reporter
Scott County Board of Commissioner and County Council agreed on the use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds at a special joint meeting on Thursday, Nov. 14.
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 granted $1.9 trillion to help the country recover from the economic and health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Scott County’s funding needed to be allocated before the end of the year or the county risked returning the money to the federal government.
The previous joint meeting with the two boards held earlier this month came to a halt when there were concerns about the funds being overspent at the sheriff’s office by the county council.
Commissioner President Mike Jones said that both boards would look at recommendations to be able to move forward with the sheriff’s budget.
Council attorney Heather Peters said that the use of ARPA funds had to be under contract and after confirming with County Attorney Zach Stewart it was learned the $400,000 for the renovation of both Scottsburg City Hall and the Courthouse would not be able to be used. She said Stewart indicated that there could be other ways to accommodate the renovations of the two buildings.
“So we are sitting at about $1.1 million that we have to figure out how to spend,” Peters said, “We need to come out of this meeting tonight, we are going to lose the money if we don’t figure out where to put it.”
Peters stressed that everything would need to be decided and advertised before the December meetings so the funds could be allocated to where the two boards agreed upon by the end of the year.
Jones said that at the last few commissioners’ meetings when it came to approving payroll, he struggled with it but communicated with both Stewart and County Auditor Jennifer Hamelman to make sure that the funds were available.
Hamelman said that there had been claim adjustments if the claims had been paid in the wrong place or there could be transfers from discretionary funds of the sheriff.
Council President JR Ward asked how the discretionary funds worked which Hamelman responded by the sheriff or by county ordinance.
Council member Lyndi Hughbanks questioned when claim adjustments happened if employees were being paid out of the wrong funds which Hamelman responded that there had been.
“That makes it very difficult for us as a council to look at these numbers and I don’t know what has to happen but going forward it has got to be shown up where correct people, correct departments the correct you know, the salaries are paid out of the correct line items,” said Hughbanks.
Hamelman commented, “One of the things I’ve learned in the last few days is that when we all sit in a room and work together instead of passing notes, it works much better to put numbers on there and to understand them.”
Sheriff Jerry Goodin said that his department has worked well with the auditor’s office all year and had asked the council to be able to discuss the budget, but there has been a refusal to do so.
Peters said that she hadn’t been notified for the council to be able to meet with Goodin.
Both boards came to an agreement that the Sheriff’s budget did not require the use of ARPA funds to accommodate the payroll.
Jones said that it always had been a headbutting argument because of legal documents confirming the commissioners are spending it and then the council saying that they aren’t going to appropriate funds.
“I’m over the fighting, the arguments, everything else,” said Jones, “I don’t understand where we come to you with an interlocal agreement, we came to you a year ago to buy all the chip seal equipment and you flat just say no. Now all of the sudden, you’re saying ‘Oh yeah, we’ll help you’. I don’t understand where all the back and forth of you know, saying we’ll walk into a decision.”
He reminded the council that there was a reason for an executive board (the commissioners) to make the decision that wasn’t (the council’s) to make.
Ward said to Jones, “That’s the reason we are here with you tonight, not to argue. You three as an executive board do decide how to spend this money. I have to have at least 4 people from this (council) to agree to appropriate it and I think we are all here in good faith to try and sit down and let’s say, ‘What would you like to do with it, and what we can we stomach with appropriating the funds and without arguing’ I don’t think anyone here wants to argue.”
Jones said that one thing the commissioners wanted for sure was to be able to spend ARPA for the interlocal agreement for chip seal equipment with Jefferson County. The spending of the $410,000 for the interlocal agreement leaves $694,487.21 for the remainder of ARPA.
County Council voted 4-3 to approve the interlocal agreement with Jefferson County for sharing chip seal equipment. John White, John Collins and Eric Gillespie voted no. But then the council approved spending the ARPA funds to purchase the equipment on a 6-1 vote with Gillespie opposing.
Both Boards discussed ither potential opportunities that remaining ARPA funds could be used within the county for the commissioners to consider and to be appropriated by the council on December 10.
The following projects will be considered by the commissioners for the balance of ARPA funds at their Dec. 6 meeting: Scott County Fair Board for a new arena, Lexington Fire Department for a community building, Jail security upgrade, link systems, Smart Board and updated Owl meeting system for County IT Andrew Campbell, Trash Compactor for the Transfer Station, golf course cart pathways for Westwood Golf Course and health insurance offset,
Following the meeting, Jones commented, “Once we finally got to the point where we can spend it where we deem where we think it is the best place, it will all work out.”
He added that the commissioners intended the ARPA funds to benefit the citizens of Scott County and he believed that it did that. He felt that the commissioners weren’t making bad decisions which was the biggest part of the arguments between council and commissioners.
Ward said, “I think the underlying overall problem is obviously miscommunication. Some of that we’re seeing that in the public eye of what’s going on with the council and the sheriff as well.”
Ward added that everyone has to put their differences aside and do what is best for Scott County and that is what happened at the meeting between both boards.