The Hastings Banner — Thursday, June 24, 2021 — Page 3Barry County builds a process to award ARPA funds
Rebecca Pierce
Editor
Barry County officials are closing in on a
way to consider local requests for American
Rescue Plan Act funds.
The deadline to apply is Friday, Sept. 17.
The application will likely be published in
this newspaper.
On Tuesday, two representatives of the
county’s ARPA advisory team met with com-
missioners to recommend a process that will
allow local units of government to pitch proj-
ect ideas to the county for how those funds
could best be used.
“What we really want to do is help people
invest these funds, not just spend them,”
Barry Community Foundation President
Bonnie Gettys said, quoting Greg Moore of
Consumers Energy.
Moore serves on the county’s ARPA advi-
sory team along with Gettys and Barry County
United Way Executive Director Lani Forbes;
Jennifer Heinzman, Barry County Economic
Development Alliance; Carla Neil, health care
industry; Cindy Vujea, economic develop-
ment industry; Robert Geyer of Gun Lake,
business industry; and Craig Jenkins Jr.,
Delton Kellogg Schools Board of Education.
Forbes has been among team members
who have been meeting in recent weeks with
various township officials to discuss the fed-
eral funds and how they might best be used.
“A lot of our townships are really strug-
gling with how the dollars are being spent,”
Forbes told commissioners Tuesday.
Gettys praised county board Chairman Ben
Geiger for his vision in developing a plan and
an advisory group that is reaching out across
the county for input.
That dynamic interactivity has gotten some
attention, Getty said, noting that she has been
invited to speak at two MAC conferences
about the process being used in Barry County.
“And a statewide coalition is looking at a
regional partnership for this among anyone
who wants to take part,” Getty added.
About $590 million will be coming to West
Michigan in the next 12 months and, of that,
Barry County alone will receive nearly $
million.
The first allotment – $5,977,683 was
received earlier this month – has been placed
in a separate account for specific disburse-
ments.
ARPA was signed into law March 11 to
establish the Coronavirus State and Local
Fiscal Recovery Funds program.
“This program is intended to provide sup-
port to state, territorial, local and tribal gov-
ernments in responding to the economic and
public health impacts of COVID-19 and in
their efforts to contain impacts on their com-
munities, residents and business,” the ARPA
team explained in documents it submitted to
the board Tuesday.
Commissioners are seeking proposals
“from qualified local units of government to
help inform its planning regarding use of the
funding being received by the county through
the American Rescue Plan Act,” it said. “The
county will be considering the possibility for
assistance with projects that have the potential
to be transformative in nature and that may
have impacts across municipal boundaries.”
The county will consider a grant award for
projects that demonstrate:- a critical, identified need in the communi-
ty, - a long-term investment in the community,
- an impact that extends beyond the boards
of the local unit, - and a funding need that is beyond the
ability of the local unit to fund solely through
its own allocation of ARPA funds as well as
other resources.
Projects that are proposed need to adhere
to certain guidelines governing the use of
ARPA funds, including the following:
Support public health expenditures, by
funding COVID-19 mitigation efforts, medi-
cal expenses, behavioral healthcare, and cer-
tain public health and safety staff;
Address negative economic impacts caused
by the public health emergency, including
economic harm to workers, households, small
businesses, impacted industries and the public
sector;
Replace lost public sector revenue, using
this funding to provide government services
to the extent of the reduction in revenue expe-
rienced due to the pandemic;
Provide premium pay for essential workers,
offering additional support to those who have
borne and will bear the greatest health risks
because of their service in critical infrastruc-
ture sectors, or
Invest in water, sewer and broadband infra-
structure, making necessary investments to
improve access to clean drinking water, sup-
port vital wastewater and stormwater infra-
structure and to expand access to broadband
internet.
The team also noted ineligible uses for the
funds include direct or indirect off-setting of a
reduction in net tax revenue due to a change
in the law from March 3 through the last day
of the fiscal year in which the funds provided
have been spent.
Also, no recipient may use the funding to
make a deposit to a pension fund. Funding
debt service, legal settlements or judgments,
deposits to rainy day funds or financial
reserves also are ineligible for consideration.
General infrastructure spending is not eligible
-- outside of water, sewer, and broadband
investments.
The county will be looking for formal
proposals – an the electronic copy must be
received via email – no later than noon Friday,
Sept. 17.
The applications that are submitted will
be reviewed by the ARPA advisory team to
confirm that they meet all guidelines, then
they will be submitted to the county board for
its consideration.
In other action:- Alizah Blundell, 23, was sworn in as a
sheriff’s deputy while her parents, Shemin
and Chris Blundell, looked on. The Ionia
County native is a graduate of the Mid-
Michigan Police Academy. Her mother said,
“We are very proud.” - Joe Verlin, a CPA and principal of
Gabridge & Co. in Grand Rapids, provided a
positive review of the county’s financial
report for the year ending Dec. 30, 2020.
“This report may be dense, but it is ster-
ling,” Geiger said. “It should give our taxpay-
ers confidence that we are good stewards of
their money.” - Commissioners unanimously approved a
resolution to initiate a lake level project for
Canterbury Lake in response to the recent
failure of an orphan dam on that lake. - The board approved a tentative agreement
and successor collective bargaining agree-
ment with the Police Officers Labor Council,
Deputy Sheriff Unit, for Jan. 1, 2021, through
Dec. 31, 2025 and authorized the chairman to
sign it. - The board approved claims totaling
$84,324.
“I don’t believe we’re in a local state of
emergency anymore,” she said Tuesday, echo-
ing comments she had made at earlier meet-
ings when commissioners discussed the issue.
Conner argued that the county’s declaration
of a state of emergency should have nothing
to do with the Open Meetings Act. But her
efforts to rescind the resolution provoked
debate about virtual meetings and how tech-
nology might be used to increase citizen par-
ticipation in local government.
When she tried to rescind the resolution
two weeks ago, her proposal failed on the last
vote; the “no” cast by Chairman Ben Geiger
decided the issue.
Geiger had emphasized that the purpose of
the resolution was for local governments in
the county that did not have the space to meet
in person with social distancing or had not
created contingency plans for meeting in per-
son.
“The state of emergency was only passed
for that specific reason,” Geiger said then.
But mandates regarding social distancing,
among other state requirements, have been
dropped now. So that challenge village and
township boards had to comply with no lon-
ger exists.
Commissioner Dave Jackson reminded fel-
low commissioners Tuesday that “several
units of government have asked us to continue
[this resolution]. This allows people to meet
remotely. It allows people to participate in
government.”
“We have decided this issue already,” he
added, asking if there were any board rules
that precluded failed actions from being
repeatedly proposed.
“Are we going to continue to see this every
two weeks?” Jackson asked. “My thoughts,
they haven’t changed.”
But Commissioner Bruce Campbell, who
had voted with Conner to rescind the resolu-
tion two weeks ago, replied, “I go along withVivian.”
Part of the problem with virtual connectiv-ity, Campbell said, is the fact that, in his
District 7, which includes Assyria, Johnstown,
Baltimore and Maple Grove townships
(excluding Nashville), “we have poor internet
service.”
For older residents who may not have
knowledge of internet usage and in those
areas where connectivity is poor, “a lot of my
constituents ... are being left off these public
meetings,” Campbell said.
Getty called the board’s resolution a tool
for the local units of government to use, if
they need it.
“All we’re doing is allowing them to make
that decision,” she said. “This does not restrict
their ability to meet in person.”
Commissioners questioned what boards
and councils in the county still continue to
have virtual sessions – but they could think of
few, such as the Barry-Eaton District Health
Department board or the City of Hastings,
which, like the county, offers a hybrid arrange-
ment allowing in-person and virtual connec-
tivity.
Geiger mentioned that none of the govern-mental units in his District 5, which includes
Castleton and Woodland townships, and por-
tions of Hastings Charter and Carlton town-
ships, along with the village of Nashville, are
meeting virtually now. All are meeting in
person.
As for commissioners’ meetings, which are
being offered in person and via the internet at
Leason Sharpe Hall in the Barry Community
Enrichment Center, there will be no session
next week since it’s the fifth Tuesday of the
month. County board meetings take place on
the second and fourth Tuesdays, with the
committee of the whole meeting the first and
third Tuesdays.
But that next committee meeting, on July 6,
is being canceled due to a lack of agenda
items.
Starting July 13, Geiger said, the county
board will return to its traditional in-person
meeting place: The chambers on the mezza-
nine of the historic county courthouse.
That news was greeted with cheers from
commissioners and a comment from Jackson.
“Where is that?” he quipped.RESCINDS, continued from page 1
Barry County commissioners and members of the American Rescue Plan Act advisory team confer during a break at Tuesday’s
county board meeting at Leason Sharpe Hall. From left are: Commissioner Jon Smelker, Barry County United Way Executive
Director Lani Forbes, Commissioners Catherine Getty and Dave Jackson and Barry Community Foundation President Bonnie
Gettys. (Photos by Scott Harmsen)Barry County Board Chairman Ben Geiger was praised by Bonnie Gettys for his
vision in developing a way to seek input from local units of government and organiza-
tions.Barry Community Foundation President
Bonnie Gettys discusses the process by
which proposals could be considered at
Tuesday’s county board meeting. (A video
of her presentation will be posted on the
Hastings Banner website.)Dodgeball, cornhole, volleyball
and more at Lake Odessa Fair
Fair season has returned.
The 86th annual Lake Odessa Fair is
going on through this Sunday, with a variety
of sporting events happening beginning with
this evening’s dodgeball competition at 6 p.m.
The Lake Odessa Fair also will have
cornhole, sand volleyball and pickleball
tournaments, an SJO Motocross event Friday
evening, and a demolition derby Sunday, June
27.
The deadline to register for the dodgeball
tournament which will have four age divisions,
including peewee, kids, youth and adult
competitions was Wednesday. The peewee,
kids and youth competitions have been
covered by a donation from AIS Construction
Equipment.
Competitive and social cornhole
tournaments will be Sunday, with check-inbeginning at noon, and play starting at 12:
p.m.
Teams of two will be placed in a double-
elimination bracket. Players are required to
bring their own partners. The cost to compete
in the social tournament is $30 per team. The
competitive event is $60 per team. Cash
prizes will be paid out for first, second and
third place teams, and prize amounts will
depend on the number of teams participating
in the competition division. There will also be
cash and fair prizes in the social division.
All ages are welcome. Bags will be
provided, and any bags brought to the
tournament must meet ACL/ACO regulation.
Organizers would also like to remind players
of the $5 fair parking fee.
There will be three days of sand volleyball
at the fairgrounds. An adult 4s eveningtournament begins at 5 p.m. Friday. Youth 6s
and teen 4s divisions will begin competition
Saturday at 2 p.m. There will also be an adult
4s tournament Sunday beginning at 9 a.m.
The cost to participate is $30 per adult and
$15 per youth. Links to the registration page
can be found at lakeodessafair.org/sand-
volleyball.
The pickleball tournament will run for
three days, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The SJO Motocross begins at 7 p.m.
Friday. Tickets are $12 at the gate and $10 in
advance. Tickets can be purchased online at
lakeodessafair.org. The Night of Destruction
demolition derby begins at 6 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online,
as well.Commissioner Dave JacksonCommissioner Vivian Conner“What we really want
to do is help people
invest these funds,
not just spend them.”
Barry Community
Foundation President
Bonnie Gettys quoting
Greg Moore of
Consumers Energy