County reviews final CARES Act funding requests

by Patty Cheffey

Marion County is wrapping up its CARES Act funding having reviewed the final requests for funds during Monday’s county commission meeting.

Thirty-eight requests, totaling $1.5 million, were discussed. However, the county is down to its final $400,000 to distribute.

Final decisions on how much, if any, funds a business or entity receives, will be made during next week’s meeting.

However, an application, originally received in the first weeks of distribution was discussed and was eventually denied by the commissioners.

Ralls County Water District had requested $10,850 to help pay for  repairs for leaks that developed when a part to fix the problem was delayed being delivered due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While representatives of the district reported they knew about the problem before COVID-19 hit, the delay in delivery caused the situation to worsen and repairs necessary to damaged materials.

However, the three commissioners stated they felt since the water district knew about the problem prior to COVID hitting, they believed it was “a stretch” to be included in the funding.

Water district representatives noted the leaks would not have occurred if the part to fix the problem had not been delayed because of COVID. 

In other business, the commissioners signed close out paperwork for the Taylor bridge.

In addition to signing the letter accepting the finished bridge, the commissioners also signed the soft match request letter.

At 80 percent of the cost of the $989,420.44 bridge, the county can request $791,536.35 in soft match.

Those funds will be used to replace the bridge on County Road 402 which had its weigh limit lowed to three tons, meaning vehicles, like school buses, can no longer use it.

The commissioners also signed a letter to Randy Klocke, president of the Marion County Drainage District, which gives him a copy of the state statute allowing a drainage district to enter into a contract with any political subdivision of the State of Missouri for improvements to the district.

The information involves the drainage district having rock hauled to the Mark Bottoms area because of flooding.