City adds more CARES money

Vermilion has sorted out where its CARES Act funding is going in time for its third round of money coming in for Lorain and Erie counties.

Finance Director Amy Hendricks said during an Oct. 19 Vermilion City Council Finance Committee meeting, that the city, so far, has accumulated over $701,600 in CARES funding since distribution began in March.

Hendricks said her department also has prepared for the filing for the interim report of the usage of those funds on Oct. 20.

All funding not spent or encumbered by municipalities is returned to the corresponding counties for potential redistribution, she said.

The city, however, won’t have to worry about sending funds back, Hendricks said.

“We did either expend or have all the funds encumbered as required prior to that interim report,” she said.

The municipal court also received an $18,000 remote technology grant from the Ohio Supreme Court, she said.

“That one is fully committed or expended as well,” Hendricks said.

Public safety and the Vermilion Police Department payroll have been major areas of expense, with other technology expenses for remote work and software packages also to be expended through the CARES funding, she said.

That technology for remote work is evident in other areas like the building department, which has taken the building permit process online to minimize face-to-face contact.

Other protective equipment and sanitization materials were purchased with the funding, Hendricks said.

As for 2021 projections, she said it’s still too early to tell if the city will have a net gain at the end of the current fiscal year, despite the novel coronavirus pandemic and its economic toll.

However, planning ahead in different ways will help cushion the blow, Hendricks said.

“It’s going to be very helpful that we have our collective bargaining agreements in place for the next two years,” she said.

The city does have a good chance of breaking even, as some anticipated losses like through the RITA income tax aren’t quite as severe as projected through the state.

“It’s kind of a wait and see,” she said.