County praised for handling of federal COVID-19 funds

Cape Girardeau County has received "kudos" from local auditing firm Stanley, Dirnberger, Hopper and Associates for its handling of federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds, of which the county received an $9.2 million share.

Accountant Patrick Kintner presented a 96-page 2020 audit report to the county commission Thursday and lauded officials especially for the way they distributed the largest share of the money -- $6.3 million -- which was disbursed to local governments and businesses in an effort to aid them with COVID-19 recovery.

"The county required paid invoices first and then did reimbursements (and) generally, I feel good from a risk standpoint because at the county level we have enough eyes looking at disbursements," Kintner said.

Kintner noted the CARES Act funds were distributed in the following ways:

• $6.3 million for pandemic response help for municipalities and businesses
• $1.5 million to help cover public safety wages and expenses
• $700,000 for equipment (body scanners).

The figures do not add up to $9.2 million because the remainder of allotted CARES money, while obligated in 2020, was not actually expended until 2021, Kintner said, so it was not included in the audit.

The audit revealed two new funds were opened, one for federal relief (COVID) and the other for a sheriff's operating fund, of which approximately $550,000 was received last year through proceeds of the voter-approved Law Enforcement Public Safety Sales Tax, OK'd on a 57.1% affirmative vote June 2, 2020.

Cyber change

The county's information technology director, Eric McGowan, received the commission's approval for a one-year subscription for $7,870 to the Bit Defender program to protect client devices.

"Basically, we want to protect anything that hooks into (the county's) network," said Second District Commissioner Charlie Herbst.

"We are constantly vigilant everyday in checking out security platforms."

Vaccination clinics

• Every Friday in July, from 9 to 11 a.m. and from 1 to 3 p.m., the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center will offer doses of the COVID-19 vaccine at the Rural Health Center in the lower level of the PHC building at 1121 Linden St. in Cape Girardeau. Residents may make an appointment by visiting cgcohealthdept.com.
• A back-to-school drive-through immunization clinic will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday at the 4-H Barn in Arena Park for students entering kindergarten, eighth grade and 12th grade. No COVID-19 vaccine doses will be administered at this clinic, said Autumn Grim, PHC interim assistant director. Signup at www.ph-capegirardeau.as.me/2021flu06app9.