Here’s how Bannock County will use its remaining COVID-19 recovery funds

POCATELLO — Bannock County Commissioners person group speech $17 cardinal successful American Rescue Plan Act Funds for 29 caller projects.

ARPA was passed by Congress successful 2021 to thief section communities retrieve from nan COVID-19 pandemic.

The commissioners vanished committing these costs connected April 15 erstwhile they voted against putting backing towards nan projected forensic pathology center. The $4.5 cardinal that would’ve gone towards nan halfway was redistributed passim nan remainder of nan ARPA projects.

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“We wanted to person thing that would beryllium lasting and not conscionable propulsion it into thing that you’re going to hide astir adjacent year,” Commissioner Ernie Moser says.

Here are nan projects that person been approved but person yet to beryllium completed:

• The Event Center will person a caller emblem rod for $10,000.
• Installing doors for nan elections agency that are ADA compliant for $25,000.
• Purchasing a h2o motortruck for nan title way and arena astatine nan arena halfway for $44,000.
• A seating upgrade for nan grandstands astatine nan arena halfway for $50,000.
• ?The Ag Extension building will person a remodel for $50,000.
• Upgrades and a remodel of nan Bannock County Historical Museum for $165,000.
• Paying disconnected endeavor leases for region vehicles for $279,000.
• Two boiler replacements for nan courthouse for $350,000.
• The Bannock County Veterans Memorial Building will person upgrades and repairs for $388,175.
• New information cameras will beryllium installed astatine region accommodation and nan Event Center and existing ones will beryllium upgraded for $400,000.
• The Road & Bridge building will beryllium replaced for $500,000.
• The region will get 2 dump trucks and blades for snowfall plowing for $710,000.
• The 6th Street entrances to nan courthouse and elections agency are being reconstructed for $750,000.
• Building repairs for nan Assessor’s Office which see expanding nan DMV antagonistic for $750,000.
• The 911 microwave towers will beryllium upgraded for $900.000.
• A building will beryllium constructed for nan Youth Development Center and Event Center agency for $1,544,519.
• Old building will beryllium torn down astatine nan Bannock County Fairgrounds and 2 barns, an office, a gathering room and an grounds building will beryllium constructed for $1,600,000.
• The detention halfway and Sheriff’s Office will person building maintenance, security, landscaping and different upgrades, including a remodel for nan location Search and Rescue and SWAT squad building for $2,362,825.

Here are nan projects that person been completed truthful far:

• ADA compliant doors were installed astatine nan Detention Center for $21,920.
• The region purchased a tractor for grooming astatine nan Event Center for $25,000.
• The IT section received a router upgrade for $52,592.
• A motortruck was purchased for Public Works for $54,060.
• ePoll books were purchased for elections for $58,650.
• The building costs estimates for nan forensic pathology halfway for $110,696.
• “The Village” Safe Teen Assessment Center was constructed for $110,696.
• The tile was replaced connected nan Detention Center for $949,750.
• The McCammon Fire Station received a tile replacement for $949,750.
• The Portneuf Wellness Complex received a sewer upgrade for $1,502,000.
• The first arena play received rate travel astatine nan Bannock County Event Center for $2,000,000.

Moser said each of these projects connection a assortment of benefits.

One illustration he pointed to was The Village, a information and betterment halfway for juveniles. In 7 months of operation, it’s already served 500 people.

The Village was opened successful August pinch nan assistance of ARPA funds. | EastIdahoNews.com record photo

RELATED | The Village: Instead of criminalizing kids — thief them

He besides pointed to projects that will use southbound Bannock County, 1 of which is nan caller ambulance bay successful McCammon.

“We felt for illustration it would person awesome longevity, it would bring information and it provides a batch of services for nan southbound extremity of nan county, and truthful that became a priority,” Moser said.

The region received astir $200 cardinal worthy of requests for ARPA funds. Due to nan finite magnitude of funds, galore group who put successful requests were disappointed not to person any.

Moser wishes they were capable to supply backing for everyone who gave them a request. He felt everyone who came earlier them treated nan process seriously, but they had to measure projects by nan effect they would person for nan county.

“When it comes down to it, we had to look astatine region costs being spent to use each nan group of nan county,” Moser said.