The Marshall County Council members reviewed several additional appropriation requests Monday morning that pertain to the American Rescue Plan Act funding.
The Marshall County Commissioners previously showed support for the funding requests, as well as the council.
For the Marshall County Highway Department, $890,000 was requested for materials to complete the 2022 Road Program which was unanimously approved.
A request for broadband projects in the amount of $1 million was considered with half going to Surf Air and the other half to Marshall County Fiber.
Councilman Jesse Bohannon made a motion to amend the additional appropriation request to $100,000 to serve customers in Culver as it would serve more customers than the other rural areas proposed with a higher impact per dollar. Councilman Heath Thornton said to Bohannon that Bohannon is willing to support some residents but not others that could benefit from broadband throughout the county. Bohannon responded saying that $900,000 would serve very few people in the LaPaz and Lake of the Woods areas.
Councilman Tim Harman seconded Bohannon’s motion with a reason of efficiency.
The motion failed to pass with a vote of 2-5 with Bohannon and Harman as the only council members to approve the motion.
A motion to approve the additional appropriation as presented that serves the entire county passed with a vote of 5-2 with council members Heath Thornton, Jim Masterson, Mandy Campbell, Jon VanVactor, and Steve Harper in favor of the motion with Bohannon and Harman against the motion.
An additional appropriation for $50,000 was requested from the American Rescue Plan Act funds for Older Adult Services to replace a funding loss after a contract was canceled by the Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center to transport radiation patients to and from the hospital for treatment. It was approved with a unanimous vote.
Lastly, $1.2 million was requested from American Rescue Plan Act funds for Highway Department Professional Services which was unanimously approved.
Funds were also approved from the county’s General Fund to complete the 2022 Road Program. About $444,000 was approved from Stone, Gravel and Aggregate and the same amount from Bituminous to complete the 2022 Road Program.
