The Cole County Commission on Tuesday approved spending the county's remaining Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funds for eligible costs for internal county government needs.
Gov. Mike Parson last week approved a potential extension for sub-recipients of CARES Act funds, like counties, to incur eligible costs through June 30, the end of the state's fiscal year. A county must have its spending data through Dec. 30 reported to the state by Jan. 31 to receive the extension, Parson Spokeswoman Kelli Jones said.
Officials with BKD, a Springfield accounting firm assisting Cole County in meeting its obligations under the CARES Act, said during Tuesday's commission meeting that they will continue to review purchases to make sure the county meets CARES Act guidelines.
Last week, the commission decided to put remaining unallocated CARES funds toward health and public safety, and that money could be used to pay for salaries in those areas, along with other COVID-19 pandemic-related expenses.
The county received documentation Dec. 30 from St. Mary's Hospital for $207,000 in allocated CARES Act funds, Cole County Auditor Kristen Berhorst said.
The county later discovered The Salvation Army of Jefferson City had not submitted documentation on $14,000 of the $25,000 in CARES Act funds the commission had approved for the nonprofit organization to provide rent and utility assistance. Since the commission had allowed St. Mary's extra time to submit documentation, they decided to the give The Salvation Army until Jan. 31 to turn in paperwork.
Commissioners on Tuesday approved emergency purchases to help upgrade the county's mobile emergency operations center. The contract with Pitt Technology Group, of Springfield, is for just more than $204,000. During early meetings at the EOC when the pandemic began this past spring, it became apparent upgrades were needed to internet and remote or distance meeting capabilities, Sheriff John Wheeler said.
Commissioners also approved an emergency purchase for just more than $63,000 for an upgrade of the 911 mapping system by Solacom Technologies Inc., of Canada, which Wheeler said will allow them to see where calls are coming from.
Wheeler noted both of these purchases had been discussed in earlier commission meetings as intended CARES Act purchases.
Prior to Tuesday's meeting, $452,905 remained in the county's CARES Act fund. Assuming the emergency purchases are found to qualify and the remaining $14,000 for The Salvation Army is properly documented, that would leave $168,905 in the fund. The county received a total of just more than $9 million in May.