In 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act provided states and other local governments $65.1 billion. Lincoln County received $6.7 million as its portion and has until year's end to spend all remaining dollars. Dec. 3, commissioners made final spending adjustments to meet the deadline.

Commissioners designated $1.5 million in ARPA dollars for both broadband and affordable housing projects, but not all the funds were allocated. Lincoln County must designate all ARPA funds for dispursement by year's end or return all undesignated funds back to the federal government.

As the deadline has drawn closer, commissioners have been repurposing unspent and undesignated funds to other projects. Commissioners repurposed $37,000 to their community navigation program by decreasing broadband by $13,000 and housing by $24,000.

Commissioners also repurposed $246,349 originally budgeted for a land use specialist. Instead, the county will hire a full-time community and economic development planner by spending $216,349 and hire an ARPA grant manager for $30,000.  

Commissioners also re-allocated $140,000 for an emergency management agency command vehicle by decreasing affordable housing funds by the same amount. Commissioners re-allocated $10,000 for ARPA single audit expenses by decreasing housing by $10,000. 

In other action, Communications Director Tara Doe announced reserve dispatcher Anita Sprague submitted her resignation. Doe also reported a new dispatcher was "in the pipeline" pending a clean background check. A conditional employment offer was made to Ferdinand Moyet-Rivas pending a successful background check and medical clearance. 

Commissioners approved a $7,834.69 purchase order for New England Bailing Wire, Inc. in Brockton, Massachusetts. County Administrator Carrie Kipfer said the order would cover recycling center bailing wire for a year.   

Commissioners contracted with former Palermo Road Commissioner Steve Childs to provide maintenance on a Hibberts Gore road. "He has maintained the roads for years and is very familar with it," Kipfer said. The county will pay Childs $3,420 for road maintenance in the unorganized territory. 

Commissioners received four sealed bids for a behavioral health liaison. The bidders are Volunteers of America of Alexandria, Virginia, Sweetser of Saco, True Care of Tampa, Florida and Lincoln Center of Audubon, Pennsylvania. The liaison would assist law enforcement in better public health outcomes for people with behavioral health care needs who come into contact with law enforcement. 

Commissioners concluded their meeting with an executive session to discuss a personnel issue. Commissioners meet next at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16 in the courthouse.