Scott County officials weigh ARPA funds for jail upgrades, request for new trucks under consideration

During the most recent Scott County Commissioner's meeting, officials discussed how best to allocate remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to address several county needs, including the crucial upgrade of the intercom and camera systems at the jail. Originally the board approved funds of $233,0000 and the request was to go to county council for approval. However, the estimate has increased to $245,000 due to rising labor costs. Sheriff Jerry Goodin, along with IT Director Andrew Campbell, approached the board to request more funding to cover the work.

Board president Mike Jones expressed confidence in moving forward with the upgrades, saying, “I believe we're all in agreement that we need this equipment. It's just about figuring out how we're going to fund it. As far as ARPA goes, “I'm for using that if we have enough left.”

There was additional discussion about balancing ARPA funds with other sources such as the Local Income Tax fund, with members suggesting that using those funds might help preserve ARPA money for other county equipment needs.

In addition to jail upgrades, there was a conversation about purchasing three trucks for the county also using ARPA funds, if any are leftover.

A joint meeting between commissioners and county council is scheduled for November 6 at 6 p.m. immediately following their regular meeting. The urgency to appropriate ARPA funds before the December 31 deadline was emphasized. In the meantime, officials are working to ensure that all necessary advertisements are in place for the council's review. A formal vote on the requests is expected at a meeting set for November 12.