The Grant County Court recommended allocating upwards of $1.1 million of American Rescue Plan Act funding Wednesday, Nov. 10, during the court’s regular session.

ARPA is a federal stimulus program designed to speed economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

County Judge Scott Myers said the list of recommendations the court was using followed the U.S. Treasury Department’s preliminary guidance.

Among other allocations, the court recommended a $145,850 reimbursement for the Grant County Fairgrounds, which provided the location for the county’s vaccine clinics. Myers said the allocation took into account revenue the fairgrounds otherwise could have collected during that time.

Additionally, the court approved reimbursing Community Counseling Solutions $161,274.16 for direct costs for its COVID-19 response as the county’s public health entity.

In a county court document shared with the Eagle, Grant County Emergency Management Coordinator Eric Bush noted that CCS provided a spreadsheet that documents staff hours and costs related to the Health Department’s response to the pandemic.

The court approved a recommendation for a reimbursement of $100,000 to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office that includes the sheriff’s search and rescue team. A court document lists the Sheriff’s Office as an essential government service, with the recommended funding offsetting lost revenues due to the virus.

Likewise, the court listed Families First as another essential government service and recommended reimbursement of $34,517.44 to offset revenue lost to the pandemic.

Under the category of water, sewer and broadband infrastructure, the court approved a $90,000 allocation to bring high-speed internet access to the courthouse from Humbolt Elementary School.

Myers told the court the courthouse needs high-speed internet, mainly because the county’s internet provider is no longer operating.

“Broadband high-speed internet infrastructure is a qualified expense,” Myers said. “So we will reimburse that project as soon as it is completed.”