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Commissioners continue to untangle CARES Act

Photo from warrensbg.com County officials have rolled out a "one stop shop" website for CARES Act information.

The Warren County Commissioners continue to sort out the bureaucratic web of CARES Act funding.

During Monday’s work session, the commissioners discussed bids for the financial firms that will review applications and one proposal for business liaison services, another needed part of the process.

The funds have to be distributed by the end of the year.

Commissioner Jeff Eggleston was quick to note, though that the “timeline for this program is based on the federal government, not by us. We have to distribute it. We are trying to accommodate a federal program.”

The commissioners have dubbed the program the Warren SBG — Warren Small Business Grant.

Eric Hern, the county’s finance director, said two firms — Haines & Company and Kersey and Associates submitted proposals to serve as the financial review agency, which will — as the title suggests — review the financial aspects of the applications coming from the business and non-profit community. He indicated Northwest Bank has expressed an intent to participate as well.

“This whole entire federal program is a work in progress,” Hern said. “We are doing the best we can.”

Eggleston suggested that all of the firms be permitted to participate to address conflict of interest issues.

Eggleston said the Warren County Chamber of Business and Industry has applied to be the business liaison entity for this process.

They will be the “coordinator for all the applications, reviewing (and) communicating with all the businesses,” Eggleston said. “They’re going to have more time in this than any of the financial review agencies.”

“Everybody is in new territory,” Solicitor Nathaniel Schmidt said. “We don’t know what the auditing process will be” or how the public will perceive the program.

He said that the agreement with the financial review agencies “protects the county” and “can be negotiated at arm’s length with these agencies.”

Eggleston said the county will be rolling out a website — warrensbg.com — to be a “one stop shop” for all information relative to this process. He emphasized that, for non-profits, only those with a 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) tax designations are eligible.

Commissioner Ben Kafferlin said he has received a total of 91 requests for CARES Act funding from municipal, fire and emergency services agencies in the county “most of which are very reasonable and cheap.”

He proposed a separate pot of money — $30,000 — for fire and EMS agencies distinct from the established application process for needs they may have, such as plexiglass shields, UV wands or washers and dryers.

“(I) would like to do something a little bit more for them,” he said, also proposing to set aside some CARES Act funds toward helping cover the cost for EMT or EMR training.

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