County looks at spending options

Jay County has received nearly $2 million from the federal American Rescue Plan.

Now it’s up to local officials to decide what to do the funding.

Jay County Commissioners and Jay County Council met in a joint session Wednesday to discuss options for the American Rescue Plan monies. 

Paige Sansone of consulting firm Baker Tilly listed the uses accepted under the funding plan guidelines.

Funding can be used, with some exceptions, in the following areas:

•Revenue recovery

•Individual assistance (food, housing, utilities, burials, etc.)

•Business assistance (loans and grants)

•Economic development

•Public facilities and schools

•Transportation entities

•Water, sewage and broadband infrastructure

•Regional collaboration

•Not-for-profit assistance

The list she provided is also not all-inclusive. She advised looking for identified needs or negative impacts resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. Creating a program or service addressing one of those needs or impacts is also an option.

“When you’re thinking about eligible projects, you should be thinking about what was affected by COVID-19,” Sansone said.

“Premium pay” is also available to essential workers (excluding those working remotely). 

The bonus-like option would be added on to each worker’s salary and can be retroactive to March 2020 –– unless the worker received compensation from previously distributed coronavirus funds, in which case it would be retroactive to March 2021. Limitations are no more than $25,000 per worker and up to $13 an hour.

If commissioners and council have other ideas, they’re welcome to discuss them with Baker Tilly to determine if they will qualify, Sanone added.

The $2 million is the first installment of a nearly $4 million allotment for the county. All funding must be committed by Dec. 31, 2024. Communities will have until Dec. 31, 2026, to complete all related projects.

One potential use of funds could be to expand a building to help with social distancing. Commissioners and council members discussed possibly expanding the Jay County Health Department building or Jay Emergency Medical Service base.

Business assistance, specifically loans or grants, are also applicable for the funding under federal guidelines.

“What I’m looking at is, there’s probably not a small business in existence in Jay County that was not somehow affected by COVID,” said council member Ted Champ, who added he owns a small business in Redkey. “When’s the last time we really explored doing something for a small business that already exists in Jay County?”

County auditor Anna Culy noted her office would not be able to handle adding revolving loans to its workload at present. The county would need to hire a third party, such as Baker Tilly, or hire more employees for the auditor’s office.

Commissioner Rex Journay, who also serves as a member of The Portland Foundation, mentioned the foundation will be offering a $2 million grant program for new or present business development. He advised against offering small business loans.

“It would be a nightmare if you think you’re trying to loan money to somebody and have us collect it here,” he said. “And being a former lender, we’re not a bank. We’re never going to be, and we don’t have the people to do that.”

Travis Richards, Jay County Development Corporation executive director, mentioned the Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI), a new grant offered through the state. Its focuses are on increasing population and economic growth, such as quality of life, innovation and entrepreneurship, talent development and attraction.

According to state guidance for the program, he said, providing a grant match with the funds should qualify. (The federal government has not yet released guidance on the matter.)

Other brainstormed ideas included a daycare, combating downtown Portland flooding, housing and county government cybersecurity upgrades.

The plan devised by local authorities does not need to be approved at the state or federal level initially, Sansone explained. Quarterly reports will, however, be filed through the auditor’s office.

She assured commissioners and council they shouldn’t worry about improperly using the funding because Baker Tilly will review their plan and help guide them as needed.

Council and commissioners agreed they would need time to think about the plan and where to direct monies. Council president Jeanne Houchins said she’d like to get her thoughts on paper.

“There’s a lot to think about here, for all of us,” said council member Mike Rockwell.