Grant County cities with a population of 750 or more received $50,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. Those with fewer than 750 people received $25,000. Here is a rundown of how those cities plan to spend the money.

Roughly $200 million of the $1.64 billion Congress sent the state in March through the CARES Act to help pay for pandemic-related expenses requires the money to respond to the public health emergency, according to the U.S. Treasury Department.

Expenses have to be unexpected and not accounted for in a budget as of March 27, when the CARES Act became law. For a cost to be eligible, it must occur between March 1 and Dec. 30, 2020. Local governments have until the end of the year to spend the money.

John Day

The state awarded John Day with up to $52,796 in COVID-19 relief funds. The city requested reimbursements for personal protective equipment and public safety measures to implement at John Day’s city hall for just over $6,800, according to the city’s newsletter released in October.

About $30,000 was delegated to improve broadband support at Humbolt Elementary School and for food security initiatives that included the Grant County Youth Livestock Auction, the John Day Farmers Market and COVID-19-related cost recovery at John Day’s greenhouse.

With regards to the money given to the Grant County Youth Livestock Auction, the city council approved up to $2,500 in August to support the youth at the fair livestock auction by adding $20 to each animal auctioned.

By extending fiber optic line to Humbolt, which experiences problems with connectivity, teachers can facilitate more lessons from the school.

“We’re excited about moving forward with getting fiber into Humbolt,” Grant School District 3 superintendent Bret Uptmor said during a school board meeting in August. “Last year we did Grant Union, and it did help with our distance learning, where Humbolt, they would not be able to do any distance learning.”

Another $15,500 was committed to Grant County Coworks, a facility dedicated to providing public broadband access and a shared working space in John Day.

Prairie City

Jim Hamsher, Grant County Commissioner and Prairie City mayor, said the city received $50,000.

Hamsher said the city put half of the money into a grant program for small businesses and sole proprietors impacted by the coronavirus.

The program is available through Dec. 18 or until funds are fully deployed, whichever comes first.

The applications can be filled out online at communitylendingworks.org/emergency-grants-grant-county.

Hamsher said the other $25,000 would be set aside for a grant program for residents who cannot afford to pay their utility bill.

Mt. Vernon

Mt. Vernon Mayor Kenny Delano said the city purchased laptops for each city council member and their city employee to meet remotely.

“It helps to be portable,” Delano said.

Delano said the city also purchased personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies for the city’s businesses. He said they did not start a grant program because they are available through Business Oregon.

He said they will give what cannot be spent before Dec. 31 to the county to go toward food insecurity.

Monument

Monument City Recorder Dorothy Jordon said the council discussed on Nov. 18 the importance of updating their technology for video conferencing.

“We don’t know how long this is going to go,” Jordan said. “Right now our technology for video conferencing is outdated.”

The city will also be purchasing electronic equipment such as laptops so work and meetings can be conducted remotely.

The city will also use the funds to make sure the city has the personal protective equipment they need and to cover the expense from the PPE purchased earlier this year.

“The funds should be used for anything to relieve the financial impact to us from COVID-19 and help keep employees safe,” Jordan said. “At the beginning of the year when you put your budget together you had no idea that you’re gonna go through three times the Clorox wipes that you go through in the past and those types of things.”

Dayville

Dayville City Recorder Ruthie Moore said the city is currently working on improving its technology capabilities and conducting virtual meetings.

“Right now that’s a little bit difficult with what we have now,” Moore said. “That’s the route we’re going, and technology is where we’re going to start at this point, and then we’ll explore other areas in the near future.”

Seneca

Amanda Born, Seneca city manager, said the city is still figuring out its allocation. She said they are checking with the city attorney on how they can help the school.

Born said Seneca also purchased COVID-19-related cleaning supplies for the city, and they have not requested reimbursement yet.

Born said they have discussed sending the money to the county if they cannot spend the money by the end of the year.

Long Creek

Long Creek Mayor Don Porter said the city is looking into a utility relief grant like the one Prairie City is offering its residents. Additionally, he said, the city purchased roughly $800 in personal protective equipment for its first responders, and he wants to see about getting reimbursed.

He said early in the pandemic the city did not know what it could be reimbursed for.

“We did not know what we did not know,” he said.

He said the city also sent small crews of people to the food bank in John Day to pick up meals for up to 25 families in Long Creek.

Canyon City

Canyon City City Recorder Corry Rider said the city does not have a plan with the COVID-19 relief funds as of Nov. 19.

“We don’t know how long this is going to go. Right now our technology for video conferencing is outdated.”

—Dorothy Jordan, Monument city recorder