Special panel eyed for input on spending ARP fund in county

LACONIA — An ad-hoc panel is being considered to advise county commissioners how Belknap County might use an anticipated $11 million to $12 million they expect the county to get through the American Rescue Plan.

The law passed by Congress last month contains $1.9 trillion in overall national spending to support relief and economic recovery efforts. It includes $350 billion in assistance to states, counties, and cities and towns to cover expenses, make up for lost revenue and ease the overall economic impact from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The money can also be used to pay for water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure, as well as workforce development.

The county has yet to receive official notice of exactly how much money it will be receiving under the latest COVID stimulus package, but County Administrator Debra Shackett told Thursday’s meeting of the county commissioners that the latest unofficial official figure she had been given is around $11.8 million.

Commission Hunter Taylor recommended that the commission form a citizen advisory committee to give recommendations on how that money should be spent.

Fellow Commissioner Glen Waring and commission Chairman Peter Spanos agreed.

Waring said the committee should have representation from the County Legislative Delegation and members of the public, as well as the commission.

“The public should have a voice, and the public should have input,” Spanos said. “The process should be transparent.”

Shackett said the county was still waiting for detailed guidelines on exactly what the money can be used for. She indicated that the guidelines would be distributed sometime next month, likely coinciding with when the county receives the funds from the federal government.

Commissioners anticipate using some of money to cover anticipated shortfalls in the budgets of the various county departments, notably the Corrections Department, and the County Nursing Home.

Another likely recipient of the funds is an initiative at the Nursing Home to pay for the cost of up to four current nursing aides to enroll in the licensed practical nurse program being instituted at Lakes Region Community College in Laconia.

Nursing Home Administrator Shelley Richardson said the scholarships should help the nursing home retain nursing talent. The student loans for the three-semester training program would be forgiven after the LPNs have worked at the nursing home for two years after their graduation.

Shackett said she was confident that American Rescue Plan money could be used to cover the costs because the bill allows for money to be used to pay for workforce development.