Pulaski County has formed a committee to help figure out how to spend its share of federal COVID-19 relief money.
The county commissioners have already agreed to let the Sheriff’s Office use $159,000 in CARES Act money to purchase a body scanner. But during last week’s joint county council and commissioners meeting, council member Kathi Thompson said she’d like the county to develop a plan for ways the county could use the money, rather than simply letting departments spend it on a first-come, first-served basis.
A few potential uses were suggested during the joint meeting. Commissioner Jerry Locke said he’d like some money to be used for county-wide broadband, and Community Development Commission Executive Director Nathan Origer suggested upgrading the microphone system used during government meetings.
The council and commissioners agreed to form a committee to prioritize CARES Act funding requests from county departments. Any final decisions would likely be up to the commissioners.
The committee will include Thompson, Origer, Council Member Brian Young, Commissioner Mike McClure, representatives from the Sheriff’s Office and Health Department, Dr. Natalie Tucker, who handles many of the grants for the county’s court system, and possibly some other department heads.
