Where it'll be spent: County assigns the last of its pandemic relief dollars

The St. Joseph County council and commissioners have appropriated the last of the $52.8 million that the federal government had provided to the county through the pandemic American Rescue Plan.

In February and March, they voted to spend about $22.25 million in new appropriations from ARP, according to county Auditor John Murphy. That doesn't include what had been appropriated in the prior two years.

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If any ARP dollars go unused or unspent, Murphy said, then the county would look to reappropriate the money.

Here's where the new appropriations will be spent.

Properties

∎ Portage Manor: $2.7 million is being held for the county home, for now, while the council and commissioners wait to see if a financially viable proposal comes forth to acquire and run the home. The money was originally pegged to pay for staff salaries and bonuses through a potential closure of the home. But the council recently delayed voting on the closure for 60 days to give advocates a chance to come up with a plan to save the home. Now, the commissioners have said in a resolution that they would offer the money instead to a new owner to be used for the home’s operations.

Next up:Advocates start work to save Portage Manor: 'Cannot … waste a minute.'

∎ Anderson Road garage and St. Pat’s park: Total of $2.7 million for a new county garage at Anderson and Beech roads ($1 million), which Granger neighbors oppose, and for park projects such as potentially converting the amphitheater at St. Patrick’s County Park into a multi-purpose space for park programs and public events ($1.7 million). The potential park on Anderson Road would be financed at a later time with a park bond, county parks Executive Director Steve Slauson said. The garage itself hinges on the parks board signing on to an agreement with the county for use of the land, which is still undecided.

September 2022:What to do with amphitheater at St. Pat's? Here's what the options would cost.

∎ Lydick Bog and airport development: Total of $1.75 million through the county’s Department of Infrastructure, Planning & Growth to help the South Bend International Airport to build a “quick turnaround facility” that centralizes operations for all of the airport's rental car vendors ($853,000) and to purchase 93 acres from the airport along Pine Road and add it to the Lydick Bog Nature Preserve ($897,000), which is owned by Shirley Heinze Land Trust. Bill Schalliol, the county's economic development director, said the city of South Bend and the airport will pitch in financially for the rental car facility. Also, he said a matching state grant of $250,000 will help with the Lydick Bog expansion.

∎ Facilities assessment: $500,000 for an assessment of several county facilities, including the County-City Building in downtown South Bend, given that the city plans to move its offices out of it.

∎ County-City Building lobby: Total of $450,000 to remodel the lobby ($400,000) and add new furnishings and fixtures ($50,000) in what county Commissioner Carl Baxmeyer described as “more than cosmetic” and that would provide storage and space for public gatherings. The remodeling alone was awarded to a contractor for $313,418, almost $87,000 less than appropriated, Murphy said.

∎ Mortuary: Total of $321,845 (between last year’s appropriation and additional ARP dollars this year) to help the county coroner’s office to purchase a building at 1622 E. Mishawaka Ave., South Bend, for a new mortuary, or morgue, and to complete it with building improvements and equipment.

February 2022:St. Joseph County's first ever morgue is expected to be complete this spring

∎ Courthouse: $150,000 to replace carpet with tiles in the county courthouse, to repair the rotunda’s ceiling, historical paintings and plaster, and to add three bathrooms.

Roads and safety

∎ Rescue vehicle: $292,334 so the county sheriff’s department can purchase an armored rescue vehicle that could carry up to 20 passengers and be used in crime scenes, storms and an array of emergencies, including some that require medical help.

∎ Paving and pumps: $6,875,000 for road paving and fuel pumps.

∎ Bridge designs: $3,491,660 to pay various firms to design improvements for several bridges.

Towns

∎ Lakeville: Total of $1 million to build a new 250,000-gallon water tower, to demolish the old 150,000-gallon tower (currently with a leak in it) and to install new water mains, all of which would replace aging infrastructure.

∎ Liberty Township: Total of $500,000 to replace the township’s 1973 brush fire truck ($141,671) and to build new sleeping and living quarters for ambulance and firefighting staff ($358,329).

∎ Warren Township: Total of $330,000 for a fiber optic line to the dispatch center ($145,000), for a connection from the fire department to the Metronet ($40,000) and for a well that would fill tankers at a new fire station that the township is building at Grant and Peach roads behind the South Bend Motor Speedway ($145,000).

∎ Walkerton: $83,000 for the design of new sanitary sewer lines.

∎ Greene Township: $5,000 for an exhaust fan, lighting, water lines and other updates to the township community center.

Other projects

∎ County assessor: $1.15 million for data system to study and reduce number of appeals and for the training of staff.

∎ County vehicles: $1 million for the first year of a new, universal program to lease all county vehicles except for police cars.

∎ Archives: $286,687 to digitize 2,500 boxes of archived records.

∎ Fiber optics in park: $21,980 to bring fiber optics to Bendix Woods County Park.

∎ Triage bags: $30,000 for the county’s Emergency Management Agency to provide triage bags.

South Bend Tribune reporter Joseph Dits can be reached at 574-235-6158 or jdits@sbtinfo.com.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: American Rescue Plan pandemic money appropriated in St. Joseph County