Jackson aldermen create COVID relief fund

It was just over two weeks ago when Jackson city clerk Liza Walker received a fax telling her nearly $1.5 million had just been electronically deposited by the federal government into Jackson's bank account.

The deposit of $1,496,845.37 was courtesy of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 passed by Congress as part of the government's COVID-19 relief efforts, and although Jackson city officials are happy to have the funds, they aren't sure how to use it yet.

For bookkeeping purposes, Walker created a line item in the city budget called the American Rescue Plan Act Fund in order to keep the COVID relief money separate from other city funds.

"We'll keep the funds parked there until we can determine how and when the funds can be used," explained Jackson city administrator Jim Roach shortly before Wednesday night's meeting of the Jackson Board of Aldermen. He said city officials, including the mayor and aldermen, will likely start discussing possible uses for the COVID relief funds.

At Wednesday night's meeting, the aldermen formally amended the city's budget to recognize the COVID relief deposit and the creation of the city's American Rescue Plan Act Fund to track fund disbursements and another deposit of nearly $1.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds in 2022.

In other actions Wednesday night, the aldermen:

• Approved a change order in the amount of $11,163.31 to Putz Construction LLC of Millersville for work related to the city's Brookside Park ballfield development project.
• Approved a proposal from BOLD Marketing LLC of Cape Girardeau in the amount of $14,776 for development of an education and outreach strategy for the city's 2021 use-tax marketing campaign and approved an ordinance approving a contractual agreement for the work.
• Re-approved the preliminary plat of Jackson North Industrial Park Subdivision, as submitted by the City of Jackson.
• Approved the minor plat of Summer Lane Subdivision, as submitted by Summer Lane Properties LLC.
• Approved an ordinance amending the city's standard specifications for street improvements.
• Approved a memorandum of understanding with Patricia Louise Matthews related to the Kimbeland lift station project and accepted a utility easement deed in connection with the project.

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