Pulaski County officials are putting the finishing touches on a spending plan for CARES Act money. They recently formed a committee to prioritize funding requests and make a recommendation to the county commissioners. County Council Member Kathi Thompson presented the commissioners with a list during their meeting Tuesday.
“We have a telephone system for the county for telework,” she explained. “We have a sound system, for obvious reasons. We have some PPE on the list, bulk sanitizers. We have some cleaners for the Maintenance Department.” Other proposed items include an autopsy suite renovation and a cot for a morgue vehicle for the Coroner’s Office, a part-time staff member for Pulaski County Human Services, and some equipment to slow the spread of COVID-19 at the Pulaski County Public Library.
All of those items are expected to cost about $187,000, which is what Thompson believed was still available in the county’s share of CARES Act money. But she said that figure keeps changing. “It’s a moving target, how much money is available, because it’s being used for overtime and other things,” Thompson said.
On top of that, more county officials are now asking for money. Commissioner Mike McClure recommended holding off on approving the list. “We’ll table it until the next meeting,” McClure said. “Anybody that wants in on the wagon needs to get a hold of you, and you can prioritize it.”
County officials have to get their requests to Thompson by this Friday. Once the commissioners approve the list on September 21, Thompson said it will take a few weeks for the county to find out what’s been approved. The CARES Act funding will have to be spent by the end of the year.
The commissioners also agreed to let the Pulaski County Health Department apply for up to $69,000 out of a different pot of grant funding. That will be used to buy refrigerators, computers, and filing cabinets, among other items.
They also authorized the county’s courts to apply for coronavirus response funding from the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute. Circuit Court Judge Mary Welker said that will be used to purchase purifiers, cleaning supplies, and masks, as well as TV screens to help court visitors know which case is currently being heard and which is next.
