BY JIMMY LAWTON
North Country This Week

A St. Lawrence County committee chaired by Kevin Acres, R- Madrid, is working to figure out how to spend more than $20 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds.

Acres says that the committee is looking to invest the funds in upgrading the county’s emergency communication systems, ash tree removal, broadband improvements, efficiencies in county departments, tuition for CDL licenses, investment in childcare and potentially assistance for water and sewer infrastructure projects.

Acres said nothing is set in stone at this point, but said there is also potential for a significant investment in road, bridge and culvert working depending on how the final rules for how the money can be used pan out in the coming weeks.

Acres said the committee is likely to recommend a significant investment to upgrade emergency communications. He said the improvements are needed in order for the county to take over dispatching services for Ogdensburg and other communities that have expressed interest and will be a major benefit to emergency responders countywide.

He said the committee also thinks the funding could be used to help with some changes in county departments. The county is looking to move around some departments to allow for more space.

Part of that plan is to put departments that interact more frequently in closer proximity. He thinks this could also involve using the old jail for storage, but details on the project are still in the works.

Legislators have been looking for a way to bring broadband to the most rural areas in the county for years. He said the ARPA funding may help with this project if the state and federal government fail to come up with a plan to do so. Though he said it looks like funding for such improvements is in the works.

While many industries are struggling in St. Lawrence County there have been wide reports of a lack of commercially licensed drivers for buses and trucks.

Acres said the committee is considering using some of the funding to provide tuition assistance to those seeking to obtain their commercial drivers licenses.

Likewise the county has been suffering from a substantial lack in childcare providers.

He’s hopeful some of the funding can be used to spur providers of childcare to better meet the needs of the county.

Acres said that while the power company’s have addressed the Ash trees, which are vulnerable to Emerald Ash borers, near power lines, the county has many trees along roadways that need to be cleared.

He’s hopeful the county will be able to use some of these funds to offset costs associated with the removal.

Acres said the county is also considering chipping in some funding for municipalities facing water and sewer struggles, though details on that were still being considered.

Acres said he believes the money should be used to benefit the taxpayers of St. Lawrence County in a broad sense rather than targeting funding to interest groups.

He said the county is currently allowed to keep about $3 million of the total to offset losses related to COVID-19, but added that the number may jump as high as $10 million.

He said plans would likely be adjusted accordingly.

One area that would likely see larger investment under that rule change would be related to fixing roads, bridges and culverts. He said that about 40% of the county’s roads and bridges are deficient and the funding could be used to target that problem.

No formal plans have been voted on by the committee at this time, but he said recommendations should be coming soon.

Once the committee comes to agreement on recommendations, the full board of legislators will discuss and make any final decisions on spending.