The Washington County Board of Supervisors resumed planning discussions on determining how to spend more than $4 million they’re receiving from American Rescue Plan COVID-19 relief funds.

Board Chair Richard Young said that he thinks it’s time they form a committee that will make the final recommendations to the board on where those dollars should be spent for the supervisors’ approval. Young mentioned that the anticipated date to get the final rules on spending is September 15th. Young proposed a 10-member committee including county officials Jo Greiner, Jeff Garrett, Dan Widmer, Jared Schneider, and Jacob Thorius, Conservation Board Director Zach Rozmus, representatives from the county emergency management agency and public health, as well as two county supervisors. Young also recommended that those members form subcommittees that could include other community members. Supervisor Jack Seward, Jr. gave a public call for ideas, “We would be more than happy to hear from anybody, put your ideas down in writing and submit it to us and we’ll definitely look at it. We don’t just think we’re the smartest guys in the room, we got to start some place.”

Supervisors Marcus Fedler and Stan Stoops volunteered to serve on the committee, and Public Health Interim Administrator Chris Estle also expressed her interest in serving. Areas that the ARP dollars can be spent include supporting the public health response to fund COVID-19 mitigation efforts and medical expenses; replacing public sector revenue loss; making necessary improvements to water and sewer infrastructure; and offering premium pay for essential workers.