The Marshall County Commissioners took action Monday morning to review and approve projects for CARES Act funding reimbursement.
The Marshall County Council previously appropriated $1.35 million dollars to be considered for CARES Act funding reimbursement.
Commissioner Michael Burroughs prefaced the discussion by providing an explanation from a Baker Tilly associate of appropriate items that can be reimbursed by CARES Act funding. He said that reimbursable expenses must be a necessary expenditure incurred due to COVID-19 and not already accounted for in the budget on or before March 27. They cannot be reimbursed by insurance, legal settlement or other emergency COVID-19 supplemental funding.
“It goes on to list medical expenses, unforeseen payroll expenses, expenses to facilitate compliance with COVID-19-related public health measures – all of those are covered according to Barnes and Thornburg and the Indiana Finance Authority who is overseeing the CARES Act funding,” stated Burroughs.
The criteria had to be met in order to qualify for the reimbursable funding and the commissioners have carefully reviewed all requests submitted to ensure the criteria fits the perimeters of the guidelines for reimbursement.
The commissioners unanimously approved the Continuity of Operations Plan for $30,000 which will assist the county in developing a plan to enact that will determine the functionality of government offices when the county is faced with any type of disaster or pandemic. Until that plan or a policy is in place, the commissioners said any take-home lap tops or Wifi pucks would not be considered for CARES Act funding reimbursement. The construction of morgue and storage facility was approved for funding in the amount of $275,290, as well as rapid COVID-19 testing kits and instruments for the Health Department in the amount of $75,000, a mobile medical unit for $383,377.50, vent fans for air filtration for $14,645, and $21,771.60 for video streaming equipment in order to broadcast meetings online from inside the commissioners meeting room.
Commission President Kevin Overmyer commented that these are all COVID-19-related projects and all of the projects were approved by the Indiana Finance Authority for reimbursement.
Overmyer did express frustration with some of the requests stating that some had gotten out of hand. Commissioner Burroughs said a notice was given to each department head to ensure that a COVID-19-related expense be cleared by the maintenance department or the commissioners before purchase. Commissioner Overmyer said some did not follow that directive.
“Some of this stuff is going to get denied,” Overmyer commented. “I think this is wrong. They’re not following procedure. If they put in a request and I don’t sign it, they’re going to have to figure out pay for it at the end of the yaer. We’ve bent over backwards as a group of commissioners and the county council to get through this and to be taken advantage of just because they labeled it COVID – I can run up to Mishawaka, pick up hand sanitizer and paper towels and not even call our maintenance department – that’s uncalled for.”
Emergency Management Agency Director Clyde Avery told the commissioners that some previously approved projects were already funded and the money spent for those COVID-19-related expenses was reimbursed to the county in the amount of $85,614.59 by the Indiana Finance Authority as of September 19.
These projects should be purchased and/or completed by Dec. 31, 2020 to ensure reimbursement.
