Fremont County has $9.3 million to spend, and we want your input on how it can best be utilized for our entire community.
Although your three Fremont County Commissioners continue to question the wisdom of the $1.9 trillion stimulus package known as the American Rescue Plan Act, it did bring a windfall to not only Fremont County but to our local cities and towns, as well.
These funds have been described repeatedly as “transformational” and “once-in-a-generation.” With help from our entire community, we can pull together a plan to create a legacy that our children and grandchildren will enjoy for decades to come.
Intended to speed up recovery from the economic and health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing recession, ARPA funding must be utilized according to the multitude of restrictions laid out by the federal government.
Primarily, the funding should boost recovery from the pandemic, address its ongoing economic fallout, and lay the foundation for a strong recovery. It also is intended to address systemic public health and economic challenges.
The funds provide substantial flexibility for each government to meet local needs. They also can be used to make necessary infrastructure improvements in water, sewer, and broadband.
While the county does have until the end of 2024 to commit the funding, the countdown has begun and the clock is ticking. We have legitimate needs in many county offices and departments, including the Sheriff’s Office and Public Health and Environment to name just two, but we also are making strides toward bringing broadband to unserved or underserved places in Fremont County.
We think that’s exciting, but we also know there is much more work to be done.
Since we are looking to piece together the strongest plans and projects for these funds, we want to hear from you. Big ideas or small, we want to hear them all!
County staff has created a special input page on our web site to gather ideas and feedback on how you want to see this funding spent. Please remember we do have limits – for example, no road repairs or projects qualify. Remember the above guidelines when suggesting ideas.
We continue to familiarize ourselves with the rules, which have yet to be finalized. Anyone interested in the 151-page interim final rules can check them out here Interim Final Rule (treasury.gov).
Completing and filing the input form is easy – answer a few questions and click “Submit.”
A link to the input form is found on the home page of www.fremontco.com. Although no final date has been set to accept public input, please remember we do have a time limit and plan to start making decisions soon.
We hope to hear from you soon!
Debbie Bell is the District 2 Fremont County Commissioner.