Council discusses $1.3 million of CARES Act expenditures

During the County Council’s September meeting, Commissioner Kevin Overmyer appeared to request an additional appropriation of $1.3 million from the $1.5 million that can be reimbursable through the CARES act disbursement through the Indiana Finance authority (IFA).

Some of the big ticket items that Overmyer mentioned that would be part of that $1.3 million would include the building of a county morgue. He said that bids will be opened during Monday’s Commissioner meeting. The IFA approved the project.

another project approved by the IFA was the purchase of a winnebago for the Marshall County Health Department. If purchased, the winnebago would be used as a mobile inoculation and other health related events and/or activities.

“These projects that we’re asking for, they have been approved. We have to sign a contract. We have to use this money before Dec. 31. So between those two projects there’s probably $600,000,” Overmyer said. He didn’t give a firm cost due to the fact that the bids for the morgue hadn’t been opened yet.

addressing the requests for laptops and other technology upgrades from the county courts, Overmyer said that “until you guys give us that approval and we get the bid back from John’s (Grolich) morgue, then we can start going through some of those projects.”

Overmyer also clarified that the $1.5 million was specifically for county government and not for businesses or other entities. However, townships, libraries, and other government agencies outside the corporate limits of the towns and city.

Because of the efforts of the Marshall County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC), small businesses can apply for a micro-loan program through them. The Town of Culver and the City of Plymouth also have similar programs.

Council President Judy Stone asked Overmyer about the Dec. 31 deadline. Overmyer replied that the $1.5 million has to be either spent, projects

under contract, in construction, or in the process.

“If we don’t use it, it goes back to the state,” Overmyer said.

Council Member Jack Roose stated that he would like to see a list of projects that are going to receive aid from the remaining $1.3 million.

“Is there going to be enough out of this $1.5 million to help these communities out in the county?” asked Roose.

Overmyer replied that the communities of Argos, Culver, Bremen, Bourbon, Lapaz, and Plymouth have their own amount of funds from the CARES Act. Townships and libraries are funneled through the county.

Council Member Heath Thornton asked about the status of the proposed purchase of the winnebago. Overmyer stated that Marshall County Health Department Health Officer Dr. Byron Holm has gotten the estimated price reduced to $383,312.

Council Member Penny Lukenbill had a question, also concerning the winnebago. She asked if it would be more economical and effective to purchase a trailer. She also asked if there was a particular reason why a winnebago was being sought out.

“This is self-contained. We don’t have to look for a truck or anything else,” Overmyer said. “Part of Doc’s plan is to use this for school inoculations.”

Lukenbill then asked about where the winnebago would be stored when not in use. Overmyer replied that the old EMA building would be used.

Thornton asked about who would drive the winnebago. Overmyer said that Public Health Nurse Lisa Letsinger would be the driver. Thornton then questioned that it might be less expensive to utilize office space at the schools or other buildings instead of driving the winnebago.

“You also got to consider who’s going to do the maintenance on it that you usually have with a, you’re going to have a place, pardon me, to pull up and dump the sewage. The things that just go right along with it. You know, winterizing it in winter. I just see it, the possibility of it, being a money pit for no more hours than that can only go on it for the next ten years. Even if you drove to every school district and back you’re looking at 20 miles each time. And you start to add that up over a year and it’s only going to be 4,000 miles a year. It just doesn’t square to spend that kind of money and have it depreciate on us because it’s a feel good thing for the county at this point,” said Roose.

During the additional appropriations section of the meeting, the Council voted to table the $1.3 million until a meeting between the Commissioners and the Council could be held to discuss the matter further.

That meeting was held on Friday at 6 p.m. in the County Building. Look for that article in tomorrow’s edition of the Pilot News.