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WARREN -- Trumbull County commissioners are expected to vote on providing up to $181,879 worth of American Rescue Plan Act funds to three organizations working to preserve the history of their local communities.
Organizations hoping to receive support for funding today include the Niles Historical Society, which is seeking $63,050 for the preservation of the Thomas Ward House property; Harriet Taylor Upton Association, which is seeking $58,829 to install an HVAC system and do roof repairs of the Upton House; and the Vienna Historical Society, which is seeking $60,000 for the installation of a gas furnace, an air conditioner, a wheelchair ramp, a fire escape and new gutters on the Copper Penny Building.
Commissioners have either allocated ARP funds to or promised to provide funding to 57 projects for a total of $28.4 million from a total of $38.4 million the county received in ARP funds, according to county Auditor Martha Yoder.
The county has $7.1 million in the ARP general fund and $2.9 million in ARP's revenue loss category for a total of $10.1 million in ARP funds that have not been allocated.
Many of the requests the commissioners said they want to support must be reviewed by the law firm Dublikar, Beck, Wiley & Matthews.
The law firm was hired by the commissioners to review all applications and make sure the requests fulfill all federal regulations to receive funding.
Commissioner Denny Malloy during Wednesday's weekly commissioner workshop suggested at a rate of three to four approvals a week it could take several months to cycle through all of the programs the commissioners have said they support.
Commissioner Mauro Cantalamessa did not attend the workshop because of illness.
Commissioner Niki Frenchko also did not attend the meeting. She holds separate meetings with department heads to review the weekly agenda.
The commissioners are expected to review about 29 requests for funding they could not immediately decide whether to support or to reject.
Some of the applications did not provide enough information for the commissioners to make definite decisions. Other applications are being reviewed because the rules provided by the federal government for the awarding of ARP grants changed over the last two years, which has allowed some projects initially believed not to qualified for the funds to now qualify.
The commissioners have not determined when they will have a meeting to review these "maybe" projects. The commissioners have $9 million in "maybe" requests.
There were 16 requests with a total value of $4.p million that were rejected for funding by the commissioners.
However, Malloy suggested if any ARP money remains after all other projects have been completed, the commissioners may reconsider some of these requests.