HAVRE, Mont. (NMB) – In a 2-0 vote on Tuesday, the Hill County Commission approved a resolution allocating up to $100,000 in ARPA funds to the Health Department for COVID-19 prevention efforts.
The vote came just five days after the Commission unanimously voted down the resolution. It seemingly closes the book on a controversy that began after the Commission never signed off on the funds that they voted to approve in early September, citing concerns about how funds would be spent and whether the Health Department already had enough funding through grants.
The motion was made by Vice-Chair Mark Peterson and seconded by Commissioner Jake Strissel.
Commission Chair Diane McLean suggested providing the Department with an initial allocation of under $50,000 and looking at providing more later. She ended up abstaining from Tuesday’s vote.
“This $46,600 is a huge piece of that $100,000. And there is nothing saying that come our next budget season, that we can’t do some more. And is that so hard for us to do a budget amendment and another…”
“With all respect, it has been very hard to get any money,” Health Director Kim Berg responded. “I literally have been trying since September. So yeah, it is hard. In my opinion, it’s very hard. I would honestly just like some support for my department. I don’t want all your money. I know that. My department is not getting it all and I never asked for it all…In fact, most people told me I (wasn’t asking for) enough. I don’t have support. My staff knows it. They don’t feel supported. And this is a big issue.”
Upon request from the Commission, Berg recently provided an expense report which showed over $21,670 in general fund dollars had to be used to cover COVID prevention efforts from July 2021 through January 2022. She has said it is crucial they have the funds she has repeatedly requested so that if there is to be another surge, they will have the necessary resources to handle it.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Berg said that this drawn-out process has contributed to her Department believing they are not supported by the Commission.
“Back in September of 2021, you approved up to $100,000 for my department,” Berg said. “You have $3.2 million (in ARPA funds). I don’t see why the important work of public health seems so unimportant at this moment in time. And I am a trustworthy employee. I don’t think I’ve ever done anything that makes that questionable.”
Commission Vice-Chair Mark Peterson backed up Berg’s assertion that she is trustworthy.
“Not once, not one time, did I ever feel that there was any question in what you were doing and (that) your intent was to make that the best department in the state of Montana.”
McLean then defended the Commission’s decision to withhold the funds for months while saying she never directly accused Berg of being untrustworthy.
“I said we might have other things (to use the money on). We’ve been informed that maybe there’s other things we could utilize this for,” said McLean, saying that changes to ARPA regulations regarding how funds can be spent has led to the hesitation in providing the already-promised funds.
“All I asked for was some support for my Health Department that has been working their tails off since the beginning of this pandemic, that I know not everybody supports,” Berg said moments later. “I get that. But we are doing the work that needs to be done. It is getting done. Our community is safe. We want our community healthy. And all I am asking for is the money you approved in September.”
Peterson acknowledge that there are lots of needs in the County, but stated that the funds should be provided since they were already allocated.
“If we stay at (the $1 million allocation to rehabilitate the Courthouse HVAC system), and it doesn’t go higher than that, that we could possibly (allocate more funds) to. What I think we did make an agreement on September, that we were going to give up to $100,000. I intend to fulfill that agreement. And I think we’ve still got room with those other (funds) to kind of maneuver. We’re not going to get everything we would like to get with this money, but we’re probably going to make a pretty good size dent in this community, this county, on a lot of needs that are needed out there. I was taken aback, or shocked, I don’t know what the word was, on how the vote went last Thursday. I did not expect that at all,” said Peterson, who voted down the motion on Thursday after McLean and Commissioner Jake Strissel had already cast their votes.
ARPA funds must be allocated by the end of 2024 and spent by the end of 2026. Berg has agreed to the Commission’s request that she keeps them updated on how her department’s allocation is being spent so that once the allocation deadline nears, unused funds could potentially be allocated elsewhere.
