The Platte County COVID-19 response committee met Tuesday, April 27 to continue discussions on how best to spend federal stimulus funds slated to hit Platte County coffers next month.
“We’ve had tremendous upheaval in the last year and made tremendous changes and I think now is the time to decide what changes should stay,” said second district commissioner Joe Vanover, who presided over the virtual meeting.
Platte County is set to receive approximately $20 million in this round of federal stimulus funds.
Treasurer Rob Willard said the first distribution of federal funds are expected around May 10, with the second set for about the same time in 2022. He said guidelines for the use of the money are still to come, with the money to be spent within three years.
Vanover said this presented an opportunity to shape the county’s law enforcement needs in the post-COVID world.
“I think one of the best ways to utilize that money is to look at our buildings and determine how those buildings ought to be used in the post-COVID environment,” said prosecuting attorney Eric Zahnd.
He said in the prosecutor’s office they are taking a hard look at options for allowing employees to work remotely on a more permanent basis, perhaps working at home for one day per week as needed.
“I think this is going to reset societal expectations in general in the private and public spheres,” he said.
Local attorney Mark Ferguson also spoke at the meeting, giving his perspective on how other courts – Clay and Jackson counties and Kansas City municipal court and others – have handled the pandemic. Across the board, courts have used a combination of different remote technologies ranging from Zoom to video and telephone conferences.
He noted the size of the current courtrooms are a problem, as the rooms are too small to allow for social distancing and it forces congregation in the hallways.
Ferguson said for most court functions, the attorneys need not be present in person.
“I think 90 percent of what I do can be done virtually – there is no need for me or my client to be in that building,” Ferguson said.
Platte County presiding judge Thomas Fincham said people constantly ask him when things will get back to ‘normal’ with full courtrooms. He said the answer is no time soon. He agreed the size of the courtrooms is a problem, and the Circuit Court will continue to handle as much as possible remotely.
Presiding commissioner Ron Schieber said the discussions are in line with what he and the other commissioners have envisioned for the county.
“We want to make sure we take this opportunity to do what is best for the taxpayers and the officeholders and the people who work in these buildings,” he said, but wants to focus on one-time expenses.
He also added that should the funding and federal guidelines allow it, he wants to continue providing assistance to businesses impacted by the pandemic. The $12 million in stimulus funding received by the county last year has largely been distributed to businesses via a grant program.
“The commission remains committed to the small business community because they are the ones who have been really impacted by this pandemic,” he said.
Sheriff Mark Owen said the county lost about one-half million in revenue due to reduced jail population and suggested, if possible, the funding be used to reimburse those losses.
Owen said while he agreed with Schieber’s overall statements, officeholders also needed to focus on protecting the taxpayers from future expenditures due to current shortfalls.
“We had $12 million to help the businesses but somewhere in here we need to take care of home and get the buildings straightened up and not hit the taxpayers for millions of dollars down the road when the had the opportunity to do some of it now,” Owen said. “I think we’re going to have to do due diligence on what works best long term for the county.”