County spends relief funds on emergency response needs

The county commissioners selected two projects to benefit from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding last week: an E-911 system for the Sheriff’s Office and a communications tower to boost the signal to the radios used by emergency responders.

Time was set aside on the monthly agenda to discuss dispersing the county’s ARPA funds now that the final rules are available, which dictate exactly how the money can be spent. The funds were issued in response to COVID-19, which means the allowable uses all relate in some way to the issues caused by the pandemic.

However, according to County Cl...