BEDFORD – Members of the Lawrence County Council voted Tuesday night to approve an ordinance which details the way in which the county could spend the $8,812,591 they were previously awarded through the American Rescue Plan.
The money provided to the county through ARP is restricted and can only be used for certain purposes.
The approved ordinance, which does not bind the county to any particular projects at this point, includes spending on equipment, financial software for the county, improvements at the Virgil I. Grissom Memorial Airport and Lawrence County Fairgrounds, as well as $4.4 million to expand broadband access throughout Lawrence County.
As part of that broadband project, the county will work with Daviess-Martin Rural Telephone Corporation to bring broadband connectivity to the Williams area through the western part of Lawrence County.
The plan also includes funds to be dispersed to local volunteer fire departments, though the amount to be given to each department is undetermined at this time, according to Lawrence County Commissioner Dustin Gabhart.
Gabhart explained that the funds will have to be given to the departments in the form of reimbursements for purchases or projects.
The plan also includes the funding of the county’s ambulance services contract with IU Health for four years.
This ordinance receiving the approval now of both the commissioners and council puts the county in line to put together a more comprehensive, detailed spending plan to be discussed in the future, Gabhart said.
