MOORE HAVEN — Glades County commissioners acted Tuesday, Aug. 11, to set up systems for distribution of CARES Act dollars among resident homeowners, renters, businesses, county offices and …
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MOORE HAVEN — Glades County commissioners acted Tuesday, Aug. 11, to set up systems for distribution of CARES Act dollars among resident homeowners, renters, businesses, county offices and institutions hurting because of the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
They approved a set of instructional documents and forms for people to use in applying for grants from the money allocated to Glades; set general plans for how to reconfigure, harden and “coronavirus-proof” certain county offices; and decided details about how to administer what will eventually be $2.46 million available for a “County CARES Act Fund” that will pay for a variety of needs, including disbursements to troubled small businesses. The expenses must cover the period from March 1 through Sept. 30, and payments made by Dec. 31, 2020.
County Manager Bob Jones told the board the county has received the first 25% of that money, $615,303. His report said: “We are ready to advertise the business assistance program. We are recommending providing up to $10,000 in grant funds for qualified businesses. We are estimating that 25 businesses will be eligible to apply, and this period will cover from March 1 to Sept. 30, 2020. The total encumbered amount will $250,000 for this project.” The staff is gearing up to expedite payments.
There also will be housing assistance grants awarded. In addition, “we are also getting bids for barrier devices for the clerk’s office and the tax collector’s office.” Next on the list for relocation or renovation is the county appraiser’s office.
Jones’s report also says officials are “waiting for further clarification on recovering the overtime cost, the emergency paid sick leave, and hazard pay.”
About the housing assistance, covered in another agenda item, the staff report stated: “This fund provided by the CARES ACT program (is) intended to provide assistance to moderate- to low-income (households) for rent, mortgage payments and utilities … impacted by COVID-19. The funds amount the first round is $175,000, with a second amount being received in October. The intent is to contract an administrator to receive the applications, review and validate, then forward to county staff for review and processing for payment. All payments will be made to the utility company, landlord or mortgage company. The period of eligibility is from March 1, 2020, forward. Applicants will need to validate their eligibility every month from there forward.”
Jones told the board that the housing assistance application also has been reviewed by County Attorney Richard Pringle and auditors. He said that the Heartland Coalition for the Homeless — which has offices in the Community Development Department annex — “has agreed to manage these funds.” He said they would validate all applicants and ensure there are no duplicates; provide the county a link that can be reviewed daily; and give the county documents to review and send for payment. The nonprofit, he said, would receive a percentage of what is spent at the end of the contract.
The manager recommended the commissioners allow the coalition to manage the funds and waive the need to advertise for bids by contractors: “If Mr. Pringle agrees that we do not have to go out for bids, waive the process so we can get funds out.” Jones noted they’ll be getting $175,000 coming in any day and same amount in October and that he’d received numerous calls from people wanting assistance with rent, mortgage payments and utilities impacted by COVID-19. He added that the staff will be “keeping everything in a book pertaining to CARES,” which “will be ready for audit in five years.”
Pringle said he needed to check on whether the commissioners legally “can waive the competitive selection process; I want to make sure we don’t have a state law that requires us to use (it).”
The commissioners agreed on a 4-0 vote to waive competitive selection and have the Heartland Coalition for the Homeless, if allowed by law, administer the grants.
On another matter, the commissioners also voted 4-0 to consent to the Florida Department of Transportation’s plan for installing sod over a Glades County easement where a gravel road/back entrance to the old Cypress Knee Museum still exists at the very corner of two busy roadways. FDOT is realigning the nearby intersection of U.S. 27 and State Road 29 at the site across S.R. 29 from the fire lookout tower. The state had asked for the easement to be abandoned, but staff found it needed only to be “acknowledged.” According to the staff report, “The entrance to the old Cypress Knee Museum area would be off (U.S.) 27. They are changing the radius of the turn lane and different lighting; it will be grass instead of a guardrail.” The site also has been rezoned for easier development.