Earlier this year, Saline County received $2.2 million of its allotted $4.4 million from the American Rescue Plan Act signed into law by President Joe Biden. The Saline County ARPA Funding Task Force met to discuss funding requests it has received to date on Friday, December 3.
The Task Force consists of the three commissioners- Presiding Commissioner Kile Guthrey Jr., Northern District Commissioner Stephanie Gooden and Southern District Commissioner Monte Fenner- and Emergency Management Agency Director Tony Day and EMA Assistant Sharon Sheffer.
In all, the Task Force discussed 12 funding requests.
Requests were received from the Slater Ambulance District ($231,465 for equipment upgrades); Ahrens Funds LLC ($48,000 for part of the funding to build two affordable houses); Marshall Cultural Council ($267,900 for land and building a pocket park near the square); Sheriff Cindi Mullins (no specific dollar figure for a deputy at the courthouse, training and equipment and housing of inmates); Saline County Collector ($54,869.14 for premium pay for county employees from May 2020 to May 2021); City of Marshall ($2 million for funding to cover the city’s matching cost for the Broadband grant Marshall Municipal Utilities received to expand Broadband to county residents outside of Marshall); Saline County Ambulance District No. 3 ($567,914 for equipment and vehicle upgrades); Saline County Public Water Supply District No. 1 ($295,000 for updating a pump station and other work needed); Saline County Public Water Supply District No. 3 ($135,000 for equipment and other improvements to aid residents mainly in the Nelson and Blackwater area); Marshall Saline Development Corporation ($20,000 for Launch U- a four-week computer-based program for entrepreneurs to accommodate up to 10 persons); Sweet Springs Chamber of Commerce ($500,000 for lots and building of some affordable housing); and Missouri Valley College ($500,000 a portion of the funding for construction of a School of Nursing and Health Services Center and support the nursing program).
The Task Force is grading the requests, and the decision on which requests are approved is scheduled to be announced during the commission meeting at 9 a.m. Thursday, December 9.
Fenner noted the county is scheduled to receive the second half of the funding in April.