Effingham, IL-(Effingham Radio)- The Tax and Finance Committee held its regular meeting on Thursday and heard from numerous entities and companies about how their ARPA funds are being used and how much is needed.
The Effingham Regional Career Academy touted its program to help local students take required college preparatory courses, saying it helps students who normally cannot afford these courses. Norma Lansing explained that additional funding will be used to expand the scope of schools involved.
The Effingham County Regional Airport reported that state and federal funds helped lower the amount needed by the county board and that bidding for the work is expected to begin in October. The Effingham County Highway Department also thanked the board for the funds and stated that local communities have benefited greatly. It specifically mentioned that culverts were being looked at more closely to replace those that were in poor condition.
The Childcare Research Committee also approached the committee, asking for an extension to plan the next steps. It reported that five families had been accepted into the program and more families were being assessed for eligibility. The committee said its biggest concern was if a family became ineligible during the course of the program. It could be that funds would not be recovered once they were allocated for a specific purpose.
The committee also heard from the Mason Township Park District, which said the funds will be used by October. The TREC Trail also said they will begin tree removal next month.
The committee then heard from the dive team who reported that they had found a vehicle for under $40,000 as requested by the board. The vehicle they wish to purchase has 47,000 miles on it and costs just over $33,000. This was presented to the County Board for approval.
In a new item, the committee heard from Michael Tate about funding for the 377 Board. Tate spoke about the program and explained that about $20,000 is needed to close the gap as more people use the program. He mentioned that once someone is accepted into the program, they participate in it long-term. This funding will help ensure the program continues at the same level for years to come.
The committee also heard inquiries from the county health department and the Effingham County Coop.
Sheriff Paul Kuhns addressed the committee and stated that he was concerned about the duration of the prison inmates’ health care. There is currently a contract in place for inmate health care, but it is set to expire at the end of his term. Kuhns wants to avoid gaps in care and help ensure that the county and the next sheriff are not caught off guard by a sudden loss of the contract. Sheriff Kuhns recommended creating a separate fund for inmate health care so that the funds would be available for a new contract. The committee approved this idea.
