By Taylor Boyd
A committee appointed by the county to oversee CARES Act funding met last week to explore ways to spend the $461,587.83 remaining before the Dec. 30 deadline.
If the funds are not spent by then, the county must return the monies.
Human Resources and Finance director Donna Shough said that as of Nov. 30, the county has used $1,011,701.38 of the $3,072,460 total funds received. The committee appointed to oversee the funds has allocated more than $1.3 million for projects that include upgrades to the Patrick County Administration Building, sheriff’s office and emergency response and Economic Development Authority (EDA) projects.
At the Dec. 10 meeting, the committee approved buying cold plasma generators for eight locations including the Patrick County Maintenance Building, the administration building, courthouse, and the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, for a total cost of $89,728.
The county’s emergency management team will receive three of the requested seven Scott SCBA breathing apparatuses. Shough said the organization requested the equipment in case of “a mass outbreak of COVID and we (Emergency Management) need to have full staff in respiratory protection and to remove dead bodies if the funeral home service requests our services.”
Clyde DeLoach, of the Blue Ridge District and one of two supervisors appointed to the committee, said the number of apparatuses could be decreased to three.
Grants to volunteer organizations were approved at the meeting with Jeb Stuart Volunteer Rescue Squad receiving $5,000 for employee COVID-19 testing, batteries, and ambulance repairs, and $3,132.40 for PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) including masks, disinfectant, infection control training, and respirator fit.
“They can’t run if the ambulance won’t run. If the paid service got a new ambulance, I don’t see why they can’t get a repair,” Jane Fulk, chairman of the Patrick County Board of Supervisors said. Fulk was filling in for Denise Stirewalt, of the Peters Creek District. Stirewalt was appointed to the committee, but unable to attend the meeting.
The Patrick Henry Volunteer Fire Department was awarded a $4,550 grant for extractor for turnout gear. “I spoke with Donald Turner. He said this was pretty much just a fancy washing machine to wash their turnout gear when they’ve been out,” Shough said.
“Turnout gear is not easy to wash,” Fulk said.
The committee approved a $2,080.02 grant request for Apple iPad for the Blue Ridge Volunteer Rescue Squad, and a $429.82 grant for miscellaneous supplies for the CCDF Volunteer Fire Department.
The Meadows of Dan Volunteer Fire Department’s grant request of $5,000 for insurance renewal was moved from the volunteer services grant to the EDA nonprofit support grant.
Shough said she thought the request “should have come through the EDA nonprofit because what they’re asking for is reimbursing expenditures for their property insurance because they did not have funds from Pancake Days to pay for that. It’s really not COVID related.”
The department canceled Pancake Days, its primary fundraiser, due to the pandemic.
A $1,057.10 broadband hotspot for Meadows of Dan was also approved.
“That’s a request that’s coming from the Broadband Committee. I think the intent is that they’ve had some improvements to the internet service at the Community Building, and the citizens of Meadows of Dan are in need of a location that they can just do a zoom meeting form their car. Those sorts of things,” said Bryce Simmons, director of the Economic Development Authority.
He added that Meadows of Dan has some improved internet through CenturyLink, and “they are asking to purchase the equipment to provide the hotspot.”
The committee approved the $27,793.60 requested by the sheriff’s office to purchase equipment to connect mobile data terminals previously approved.
“Garry Brown sent the email out that he had forgot to add the $27,000 to connect those data terminals.
The request for $6,741.36 for health insurance claims for COVID-19 testing and treatment for the county and the Patrick County Schools system was approved, as was the request for $11,825 to purchase ‘ductless mini splits,’ a type of air conditioner, for the third–floor courtroom.
The committee rejected the $462,900 request from Piedmont Community Services for sewer extensions. “It’s a nice thought, but it would put us way over” our available CARES budget, said Geri Hazelwood, county administrator.
A request from the sheriff’s office for $108,971 for portable radios for jail, road investigators, courtroom security, and civil process was also denied.
“Don’t they have radios in their cars? Don’t they have cellphones,” DeLoach said.
“They do. We’re paying for them. The last time I checked, which has been a while, a portable radio like everybody carries was $850. So, how many are we getting here,” Fulk said.
“Radio service in the county is horrible. But a new radio is not going to help that unless you get one with a bigger wattage program. They will pick up better, and they are more expensive,” she added.
The extension’s office request for $5,428.30 for books for 7th and 12th graders, and a request of $1,800 for three Roombas to help clean the new Patrick County Administration Building, were also declined.
Simmons, who discussed the Non-profit and Agricultural grant program, said the EDA “received 35 requests for the non-profit support fund at a total of $154,802. We were allocated $150,000 from the Board of Supervisors for the non-profit grant program, and we have exceeded that request by $4,802.” That figure did not include the movement of the Meadows of Dan Volunteer Fire Department to the non-profit support grant category.
“On the agricultural side, we had 14 applicants for a total request of $42,000. We were allocated $100,000 to that fund, and we have a remaining balance of $58,000 currently,” Simmons said. “These have reviewed by the review committee and we will be moving forward to get all the paperwork to get these processed.”
In addition to the supervisors, the CARES Committee also includes Shough, Hazelwood and Patrick County Treasurer Sandra Stone.
