County Board seeking to further utilize ARPA money

QUINCY — The Adams County Board is reviewing more requests for projects to utilize funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

Adams County has received $12.7 million in ARPA funding from the federal government. Finance Committee Chairman Bret Austin said the county has spent roughly $6.5 million has another nearly $4.8 million in pending projects, which means there is still about $1.4 million available.

Austin provided a list of project requests for review to the County Board. He emphasized that the list below is made up of requests and some of them may not receive their entire request or may not receive any funding at all.

Barb Fletcher, R-District 2, said the Public Health and Safety Committee, which she chairs, wanted to add $600,000 in requests for public restrooms in parks in Liberty, Coatsburg, Plainville, Golden and Bailey Park in Camp Point.

The County Board did approve the $12,000 of ARPA funds to give raises election judges. Judges had been paid $120 for what ends up being, roughly, a 14-hour day. The resolution would change the payment to $180 per day.

Adams County Clerk and Recorder Ryan Niekamp said he hoped the increase would entice more people to step up to work on Election Day.

The County will have to utilize other funding sources for the election judge pay increases when the ARPA well runs dry. Board Member Ryan Hinkamper, R-District 2, said while he is a fiscal conservative, he believed spending money to promote and support democracy was important.

“Election judges have to go through a lot,” Hinkamper said. “I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a little extra money than on our elections.”

The County Board also voted to establishment the Adams County Bicentennial Commission and appointed the following people to it: Kent Snider, Gary Farha, Reg Ankrom, Jack Freiberg, Chuck Scholz, Barb Fletcher, David Bockhold, Theresa Bockhold, Erin Knapheide, Dennis Cashman, Brad Kestner, Carol Shaffer, Pam Shaffer and Katie Schelp.

In other action, the County Board approved:

• A $135,000 contract to pay for the removal of an existing structure and the installation of a new precast box culvert at E. 1150th St. roughly three miles northwest of Payson in the Fall Creek Road District.
• A $382,000 contract to Quincy-based County Contractors Inc. for the removal and replacement of a structure with a precast pre-stressed concrete deck beam bridge and necessary approach work on E. 1800th St. in Gilmer Township.
• Appropriating $60,000.00 from the County Bridge Fund to pay for the repair
  of County Bridge Fund Project #815 located on East 1100th Street approximately 3.4 miles southwest of Mendon in the Mendon Road District.

The Board also approved Fireworks Permit Requests for the following:

• Bailey Park in Camp Point, IL. on July 4 at 9:30 PM with an alternative date of July 9 at 9:30 PM.
• Oakwood Acres Campground located at 2124 E. 1300th Place, Mendon, IL. For July 3 at 9:30 PM with an alternative date of July 10.
• Sheridan Swim Club located at 3915 South 24th in Quincy, IL For July 4 at 9:30 PM with an alternative date of July 11.
• Spring Lake Association located at 5210 Club House Drive in Quincy for July 2 at 9:30 PM with an alternative date of July 9 at 9:30 PM.