Where Wright County’s COVID funds are heading

On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the 109 trillion-dollar American Rescue Plan Act. The massive legislation was aimed at helping the country recover from the economic and health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Government entities from state to local received funds under the plan.

According to a resolution passed last week at the Wright County Board of Supervisors meeting, the applied for and has been estimated to receive funds for the American Rescue Plan Act totaling $2,436,323.

Based on the distribution guidelines from the US Department of Treasury, the following county projects have been approved for the use of said funds*:

• Stop the Bleed for Wright County Public Health - $4,000
• Sandra McGrath for paid out lost vacation due to COVID pandemic - $6,000
• Installation of Broadband for Wright County Conservation - $146,000
• Financial Assistance to City of Belmond for Colts Corner Day Care remodel - $400,000
• Financial Assistance to City of Clarion for First Steps Early Learning Center remodel- $400,000
• Financial Assistance to City of Eagle Grove for Eagles Wings remodel - $400,000
• Reimbursement to the Auditors Office for Administration of the American Rescue Plan- $20,000
• Reimbursement to Wright County for making transfer books available on the County website - $40,000
• Reimbursement to the Recorders Office to digitize the recording documents and converting microfilm to digital - $30,000
• 20 cubic feet refrigerator with an alarm to hold vaccines for Wright County Public Health - $10,000
• Equipment to support the Sheriff’s Office in preventing and responding to violence - $8,000
• Generator and installation for the courthouse - $50,000
• Generator and installation for the Sheriff Office - $50,000 
• Replacement of lead waterlines to the Courthouse - $13,200
• Remodel of the Treasurer’s office for COVID mitigation - $60,000
• HVAC Units for the 1^st Floor Lobby and Recorders office in the courthouse -$45,000; and electrical - $8,000 due to installing new HVAC on 1^st floor of courthouse
• HVAC Unit for the Sheriff’s Office and electrical for installing new HVAC - $11,500
• Replacing doors on 1^st floor of courthouse from being damaged by COVID-19 sanitization - $30,000
• Remodel of the 1^st floor restrooms of the courthouse to social distance and become touchless - $15,000
• Work from home Lenovo docking station - $400

*All of these amounts are ‘not to exceed,’ in other words, certain projects may come in under the listed amount.

The total for these projects comes out to about $1.747 million. Auditor Betty Ellis explained that the remaining $689,000 can be used for “general county services,” according to guidance from the National Association of Counties. Some of these projects and purchases are already completed or underway while others are still being planned for.

The supervisors passing the disbursement resolution was necessary was necessary to allow the Auditor’s office to pay for the projects out of the American Rescue Plan fund. Ellis added that the county has received the first half of the $2.4 million and the second half should come sometime this spring.