IOWA CITY

Johnson County still has more than $26 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to pay out, which produced an open-ended question from Supervisor Jon Green at its Sept. 21 work session.

“Right now,” the former Lone Tree mayor said, “we could tear up everything we’ve done.”

While those millions of dollars haven’t actually been spent, the board did approve a complex list of ARPA projects last year that will result in all the funds being dispersed by the end of 2026, per federal law.

Donna Brooks, a member of the county’s ARPA leadership team, said the intent was to build the ARPA plan and then work it.

“There will be a need for flexibility and the ability to pivot as these fallouts occur,” she said.

The ARPA projects are so important to the board that the budgeting process for Fiscal Year 2024 will begin with an ARPA financial discussion Nov. 7.

“I just wanted to underline the decisions we’ve so far taken remain provisional until the dollars are spent or we reach the end of 2024, when all ARPA monies must be allocated,” Green told The News.

The $2 million Direct Assistance Program is the only project that has been fully completed and funded to date. Upcoming projects include improvements at Kent Park and a number of additional hirings in departments such as Public Health.

Board action

At its formal meeting Sept. 22, the board approved pay increases of $2 an hour for Election Day precinct chairs and rovers. The action increases pay from $16.50 an hour to $18.50 an hour for this year’s election Nov. 8.

Johnson County’s election workers include one chair at each of the 64 precincts, including Lone Tree, Hills and Sharon Township, along with a number of rovers who go from precinct to precinct.

Following a public hearing, the board approved a resolution clearing the way for a renovation project planned for the Johnson County Courthouse. The estimated cost is $2 million.

Bids from contractors will be due Oct. 20, followed by a bid review procedure Oct. 26. Work is scheduled to be completed by July 1, 2023.

The renovation will include two new courtrooms being installed on the second floor of the courthouse.

Construction dust

The board heard a complaint from Kyle Miller, a southwest Johnson County resident, about the amount of dust being created by a bridge improvement project on the Orval Yoder Turnpike.