Saline County Commissioners took action Tuesday to protect remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds designated for Fire District 3. The measure comes as the December 31st obligation deadline for ARPA funds approaches.
County Administrator Philip Smith-Hanes informed the commission that Fire District 3 was unable to obligate their allocated funds before the deadline. Smith-Hanes explained, "Fire District number three did not... their bids for their building came in a little higher than anticipated and so they're having some internal discussions."
To address this issue, the county has prepared an internal memorandum of understanding (MOU). Smith-Hanes stated, "The attached MOU was prepared by our federal consultants. They believe that it will protect the funding and allow us to go ahead and award that to Fire District 3 next year."
The commission voted unanimously to approve the MOU, identified as RFA 2024-178. This action is intended to ensure that the funds remain available for Fire District 3's use beyond the original obligation deadline.
Smith-Hanes did not provide specific details about the amount of funding involved or the nature of Fire District 3's building project. The commission did not discuss any potential alternatives to this course of action during the meeting.
This decision comes as part of the county's broader efforts to fully allocate its ARPA funds before the federal deadline. No other ARPA-related issues were raised during the meeting.
