The Cole County Commission on Tuesday approved distribution of its largest amount to date of federal COVID-19 relief funding.
Cole County received $9 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funds in May and started accepting applications for portions of the funding last month, after hiring BKD, a Springfield accounting firm, to assist the county in meeting its obligations under the CARES Act for purchases related to the pandemic.
Many of the items approved Tuesday were for private schools, totaling $36,130.
Cole County schools approved for CARES Act funding Tuesday included Lighthouse Preparatory Academy and Trinity Lutheran School in Jefferson City; St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in Taos; and St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School in St. Thomas.
Funded items included eight portable radios, seven non-contact infrared thermometers, 15 non-contact infrared body thermometers and two thermographic cameras.
Under CARES Act guidelines, the county can reimburse public schools for COVID-19-related purchases; for private schools, the county must purchase items requested by the schools to qualify for the federal funds.
Funding for public and private schools made up the majority of the first application phase for CARES Act funds in Cole County at $1.5 million. The minimum amount an applying school could receive is $10,000. Schools may apply for as many items as they would like, as long as they stay within the amount set aside based on student population.
Other items approved for CARES Act funding Tuesday were for expenses county offices have incurred due to the pandemic. The commission had set aside $3.6 million of the $9 million in CARES Act money for internal county needs.
Tuesday's county office items were for Cole County Emergency Medical Services, which received $390,604 for 17 cardiac monitors/defibrillators with telemedicine link. Cole County EMS also was approved for $7,107 for mounting brackets for monitors in ambulances.
The County Commission began the funding approval process Aug. 19 and since then has approved a total of $697,893. That leaves $8,302,107 in available CARES Act money in Cole County.
Commissioners are scheduled to consider more funding applications Thursday.
The second CARES Act application phase is scheduled to begin this week. The commission is considering making $2 million available for applications in this phase, with $1.8 million in contingency.
That leaves $3.4 million in CARES Act funds that could be used for the ongoing application process.
The goal is to have funds earmarked by Nov. 30.