Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Jody Opheim, CARES Act funding coordinator, gave a report to county commissioners Monday, July 29. She has been hired to help administer the program in Whitman County; including paperwork, reporting and ultimately, recommendations to county commissioners for how to spend $2,757,100.
Whitman County was awarded the federal aid for the period of March 1- Oct. 31. Local towns and cities have also received a minimum of $25,000 each.
CARES stands for the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.
“One large caveat,” Opheim said. “The money cannot be used to replace lost revenue due to the stay-home order.”
Hired in early June, she is now collecting data on COVID-19 related county department expenses already incurred, such as public health, the sheriff, emergency management, public works and more.
“Almost all of them,” said Opheim, of Garfield, who will continue to work at WSU through July 19, for which she manages their Advanced (power) Grid Institute.
She noted that dispersement of the county's CARES money will first go to its departments followed by “key non-profits/vital services” and “qualified small businesses,” to be determined by county commissioners.
Opheim expects to have guidelines for this by early August.
She noted that the county is looking to use its CARES aid extending into the fall, distributing what remains, at that point, to the private entities, as mentioned.
“We don't know for certain but I expect we will have some funds available,” Opheim said.
Commissioner Michael Largent noted that the the county will need to coordinate with other large jurisdictions, such as the City of Pullman.
“We don't want to duplicate and leave other businesses out in the cold, so to speak,” said Opheim.
Her contract runs through mid-November, also covered by the CARES award.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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