Pulaski County is moving ahead with several requests for CARES Act funding. The county commissioners Monday agreed to use the county’s share of the federal money to get a new phone system and replace the sound system in their meeting room, among other technology upgrades.
Money will also be allocated for equipment to slow the spread of COVID-19 at the Pulaski County Public Library, sanitation and security items for Pulaski County Human Services, and a virtual education system for the Pulaski County Soil & Water Conservation District.
The commissioners already agreed to let the Sheriff’s Office get a new body scanner for the jail.
County Council Member Kathi Thompson is leading the committee to review CARES Act funding requests from the various departments. She told the commissioners that county officials asked for a total of about $380,000, but only about $187,000 is known to be available.
Among the items that were cut out were almost $145,000 in requests from the Coroner’s Office, including an autopsy suite renovation and a new removal van and cot. But it was pointed out that the Coroner’s Office was recently able to get a van from the Sheriff’s Office instead.
The county also held off on various requests for cleaning supplies and personal protective equipment, but Thompson said there’s a chance they could be added back later. It all depends on how much CARES Act money the county spends on overtime. “Requests are coming in for the 25 percent that FEMA won’t pay for overtime and other COVID-related expenses,” Thompson explained. “I would request that the commissioners give a drop-dead date that departments have to have those requests in, so that [Auditor] Laura [Wheeler] can then put a final figure to the money that we have available to this project. And I would request that it be soon.”
The money has to be spent by the end of the year, but unlike some of the big-ticket items, Thompson thought the PPE could be obtained relatively quickly.
