By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
As the deadline approaches to delegate Covid relief funds, officials with the city of St. Joseph feel they are in a good place.
City Manager Bryan Carter says currently there are a few projects that are nearing a deadline on delegating spending, but it’s not to a point he's concerned.
"There is still time to get that money incumbered, get it obligated," Carter tells host of the KFEQ Hotline Barry Birr. "There is however one element out there that we're going to have to address, and we're going to have to thread the needle a little bit on the timing of this one, and that is the fact that we've left roughly $1 million in money that is not allocated to any particular project or expense."
However, Carter also says you don't want to get in a situation where things are getting done at the gun.
"You want to have time for if there is an unexpected need to cancel a council meeting or if something the money is going to be spent on becomes controversial and needs a lot more public input before it gets spent, you don't want to be under the gun on that," Carter explains. "From our perspective on the administrative side, we want to make sure we have all the information to the city council, and they can make a decision when it's not a time pressured decision."
Several projects around St. Joseph have benefited from these federal funds, including expansion at Hillyard Technical Center and the Missouri Western CTAC, among others.
Federal money was a key part in renovations of the Civic Arena, with new seats and a new scoreboard, but work is continuing on the arena.
Carter says on top of the renovations have been done, currently upgraded bathrooms are being designed.
"To replace, or modernize, the restroom facilities, getting ready to go through painting to the interior and exterior of Civic Arena," Carter says. "So, a lot of those key elements that are necessary to make it look better, but also necessary to make it function better."
Money from the Capital Improvement Project and the parks tax passed in 2021. The deadline to obligate remaining COVID relief funds is the end of the year.
The deadline to obligate funds is the end of the year, with the deadline to spend the money coming in 2026.
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