Three and a half years after Schoharie County began looking at how to best invest $6,021,192 in ARPA monies, it’s down to nickels and dimes.
At what members hope will be their last-ever meeting, Thursday, the ARPA Committee moved the remaining $196,375.45—some of it from projects that never moved forward, some from those that came in under-budget—to broadband.
The rest—likely about $150 that will trickle back before the December 31 deadline—members also told ARPA chair Alicia Terry to add to broadband.
Most of that $196,375--$134,250--is coming back from work at the Cobleskill Reservoir, which came in under budget.
Another $4,750 is coming back from a partnership with SEEC that helped map local broadband needs.
There’s also $422.72 that remains unspent for historical markers, what remains of $5,000 awarded to the Schoharie County Historical Society.
“We told them to buy paint or something,” Ms. Terry said.
Otherwise, it will go to broadband; all monies have to be obligated by December or returned to the federal government.
That doesn’t really mean December 31.
While the money doesn’t have to be spent—purchases orders or letters of commitment are good enough—consultant Steve Dyer still needs time to process them.
There was discussion Thursday on using the remaining $196,375 to help make the county’s match for the $30 million promised by the state through the federally-funded ConnectALL, but gun-shy supervisors decided instead to just put it toward broadband.
A dozen years since Hurricane Irene, supervisors are still fighting for reimbursement from the Streambank Project, also a federal, grant.
“It was an announcement. We have no paper,” said Blenheim Supervisor Don Ariey, who’s long led the streambank fight of the $30 million for broadband.
“What if there are issues once we get to the grant that can’t be resolved? We don’t have a contract yet. That roadmap is already behind and they have us ready to roll in February.
“I’m nervous. I’m nervous.”
Mr. Airey wasn’t the only one; Schoharie Supervisor Ben Oevering suggested they “write it broadly” to find the most effective way to spend the “extra” on broadband, possibly as a match for grants the county is seeking for its $3 million share.
That’s the plan the ARPA Committee went with.
In other late awards before that, members also approved a $10,000 request from County Clerk Larry Caza for shelving and agreed to give the Cobleskill Fairgrounds, which had asked for an additional $245,000 for four projects, $30,000 to put where it’s most needed.
Not awarded was additional funding for the Richmondville Sewer District or anything for the Seward Sewer District or the Community Library Annex.