Marion County Building Committee Chair Dr. Creighton Engel says the county doesn’t have a $460,000 overage in spending ARPA federal COVID-19 relief money after all.
Engel says it was discovered the county actually had a surplus of $45,000 remaining after a first quarter budget review with Bellweather which assists the county with the budgeting process.
“We’ve done up to this point in every project we have going on at the present time, those are all paid for under ARPA without any money locally from taxes.”
The board had earlier thought they would have to use their own building fund to cover the shortfall which could have delayed other improvement projects the county still wants to complete.
The board agreed to pay Ameresco $546,944 for work they have now completed on county buildings. They are still owed $1.2-million for projects that have not yet been completed or have issues that need correction.
Sheriff Kevin Cripps said problems with the new cell doors installed at the law enforcement center are slowly being corrected after initially leaving the jail in a worse condition than with the old doors that were being replaced.
Cripps, in his role of overseeing the courthouse, also reported caulking work had been completed on west side windows on the third floor of the courthouse that leaked badly during a recent heavy rain storm.
The board appears to be getting closer to a solution for replacement flag poles at the courthouse. Community Relations Committee Chair Bill Henson had obtained quotes for two 30 foot tall flag poles, but the board wants to consider having a third pole. The bids will be discussed at the next county board meeting on Tuesday, May ninth. Henson will also work with the sheriff to see if lighting can be added to allow flags to be flown at night.
Two trees damaged in a recent severe storm on the southeast corner of the courthouse square have been cut down. Board Chair Debbie Smith says plans are underway to plant five or six trees on the courthouse square to replace trees that have been lost the past few years.
Marion County Supervisor of Assessments Mark Miller requested the board hire someone to check to see if there are still mold problems in the Moose storage building. He isn’t sure if mold on some of the old records is new or old and wants employees to feel safe when having to handle records store in the building.
