BOCC, Rosson allocate more LATCF funds to county employees

WALLACE — The Shoshone Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) met with the Shoshone County Grants Administrator, Colleen Rosson, to discuss the allocation of funds from the Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund (LATCF).

During the fiscal years of 2022 and 2023, Shoshone County will be allocated $4,083,600, for a total of $8,167,200 for the two years.

These funds were established as a part of the American Rescue Plan (ARPA) as a general revenue enhancement program. ARPA appropriated $2 billion to the Treasury to be allocated to eligible revenue-sharing counties and eligible Tribal governments. Although these funds come from ARPA, there are different requirements and restrictions on where the money can go.

As the funds are only for 2022 and 2023, the county has been advised to refrain from spending the money on anything that will create a fiscal burden, like hiring a new employee.

Once Rosson and Commissioners John Hanson, Jay Huber and Tracy Casady received word that the county was getting these funds, they contacted the different county departments to send in their proposals.

After receiving the proposals, the BOCC met with Rosson to discuss and approve the funds for the different departments.

Two county departments, the County Assessor’s Office and the Planning and Zoning Administration, requested and were approved for new fleet vehicles for $36,000.

The Broadband Action Team requested and was approved for $1,000,000 to add more stable connectivity into the valley, specifically in completing the 23-mile missing conduit on the Interstate 90 freeway. “There are internet providers that are interested in completing that stretch,” Rosson said. “That would bring an additional provider into the valley that provides fiber internet.”

Preserving and maintaining the marble flooring for the Shoshone County Courthouse was requested by the BOCC and approved for $92,000. The BOCC also asked and approved dumpsters along the river and vault toilets for $30,000.

A courthouse security camera, courthouse workstation and server modernization upgrades were approved for the courthouse IT department for a total of $117,900.

The County Clerk’s office requested courthouse curtain cleaning for $2,200, citing that the current curtains hadn’t been cleaned for about 40 years. The clerk also asked for record digitization for $100,000 and Grant Admin funding for two years at $140,000. The requests were approved.

The Public Works department requested and had approved three sanding trucks at $1,264,965, a mini-hoe for $81,973, four generators at $100,000, and $1,800 for the department’s new director, Jessica Stutzke, to receive her certification.

The Silver Express bus is a free public bus service that operates Monday through Friday on a fixed bus route and was requested and approved for $120,000. This also matches an ITD grant for four years.

The Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office requested and was approved for four new patrol vehicles for $300,000, a padded cell for $40,000, 10 push bumpers for patrol vehicles at $17,000, call out active threat gear at $45,000, a jail transport vehicle at $75,000, Guardian RFID inmate monitoring at $57,925, updated security cameras at $65,950 and plumbing upgrades for $50,000.

The Department of Motor Vehicles was approved for a secure money drawer for $1,000.

The Solid Waste/Transfer station department requested and were approved for an excavator with brush grapple for $101,322, a balance on air burner for $44,109, three refuse bins at $75,000, computer equipment upgrade at $3,467 and $28,678 to a new security system.

$17,800 remains, which will be up to the new BOCC administration to allocate as they see fit.