Supervisors to vote on ARPA fund spends

BY CHUCK VANDENBERG
PCC EDITOR

LEE COUNTY - Four county projects that are recommended to be funded through the the county's allocation of American Rescue Plan Act funds will be voted on Monday.

The four projects, all part of the county's $6.5 million in federal stimulus, are projects under the category for county projects. The panel overseeing the use of the stimulus funds allocated 42% of the total to county projects, or about $2.73 million.

Three of the projects involve digitizing public records in the county Engineering, Auditor and Recorder offices.

The digitizing qualifies for spending under the APRA final rules because it allows residents and staff to access the records online, which would reduce in-person traffic at county offices in times of pandemic, without reducing accessibility to those services.

The Auditor and Recorder digitization carries a $234,065 price tag, while the Engineering project will cost $72,050.

The county is also moving to higher efficiency air purifying filters for county buildings at a cost of $21,842 and replacing a grease trap at the Heritage Center in Keokuk at a cost of $2,000. The grease trap isn't sufficient for the increase in usage while seniors are restricted during the pandemic.

The panel overseeing the funds will be meeting again on Feb. 7 to consider moving additional projects to supervisors for approval.

The county will also be considering the 2022 ambulance fee schedule including $387 for non-emergency basic life support, and $620 for emergency basic life services.

Advanced Life Support services for non-emergency calls will carry a $465 fee. ALS1 services will carry a $735 fee, ALS2 - $1,065 and Specialty Care Transport fees at $1,190. ALS treatment with no transport is assessed at $158 per service. Dedicated Ambulance standby fees are $115 per event.

All those services fees are the same as 2021. The mileage fee will be increased from $13 per mile to $21 per mile.

Supervisors will also vote on filling open ambulance positions including two EMT positions.

Meeting times in 2022 have been moved to 10 a.m. and are still being held at the County Administration building in Fort Madison.