Dunn County re-allocates $1.19 million of ARPA funding to door access system for county buildings
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
MENOMONIE — Some of the projects completed by Dunn County with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds ended up costing less than the estimate, while some projects were not completed at all, resulting in $1.19 million of remaining funds.
The Dunn County Board at the April 16 meeting re-allocated that money to pay for an integrated surveillance camera and door access system for all county buildings.
Some of the projects for which APRA money had been designated were under budget, some of the projects could not completed, and some of the projects were no longer needed, said Kris Korpela, county manager.
Paving the road between the judicial center and the government center was changed to a gravel service road, and Dunn County partnered with the City of Menomonie for a walking trail, she said.
Originally $500,000 in ARPA funds had been designated for the project, but the actual cost was $162,884, leaving a surplus of $337,116, Korpela said.
One of the projects on the list was “back scanning” for the child support office to eliminate paper. The project cost was estimated at $80,000, but the actual cost was $37,735, leaving a surplus of $42,265. Two air handlers and a chiller were not replaced, with an estimated cost of $600,000, she said.
Dunn County is exploring whether to install a geo-thermal system, so the air handlers and chiller were postponed, Korpela said.
Vehicles for the Environmental Services Department were estimated to cost $74,990, with an actual cost of $27,312, leaving a surplus $47,678, according to Korpela’s report to the county board.
Microsoft Office was estimated at a cost of $150,000, with an actual cost of $108,692, leaving a surplus of $41,308.
A total of $240,000 was allocated for broadband grants, and $193,000 was awarded, leaving surplus of $47,000.
Backup for the Information Technology department was estimated at a cost of $48,000, with an actual cost of $25,695, leaving a surplus of $22,305.
Firewalls for IT were estimated at $60,000, with an actual cost of $49,392, leaving a surplus of $10,608.
Tank replacement at the Dunn County Highway Department was estimated at $120,000, with an actual cost of $90,000, leaving a surplus of $30,000.
Door security
Korpela said she was proposing that $1,185,002 of remaining ARPA funds go toward the security camera and door access system for all county buildings.
Any remaining money can go toward the county’s new financial system, she said.
Right now, the doors in county buildings are accessed by punching in a code or by using a key, Korpela said.
Keeping track of the door access codes for various employees and changing those codes when necessary requires a certain amount of time and effort. If a key to a county building door is lost, then that creates a vulnerability, she said.
The security camera and door access system, which will require county employees to have a badge in order to swipe into the buildings, is expected to cost $800,000, Korpela said.
In 2016, Dunn County purchased a new financial system called SAP. The program was difficult to use and created many difficulties for county staff, she said.
The SAP system will discontinue in 2027, so Dunn County is planning to implement a new system, Korpela said.
The federal government allocated ARPA funds to help municipalities during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Dunn County received $8.8 million, she said.
The money must be encumbered by December 31, 2024, or Dunn County will have to return the remaining funds, Korpela said.
Other projects
The Dunn County Board allocated about half of the county’s ARPA funds for highway projects, Korpela said.
Another $1.5 million was used to “close the gap” in the county’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) budget, she said.
Patrick Breslin, county board supervisor from Boyceville, asked about broadband and said he recalled the ARPA money was supposed to be used to bring broadband to rural areas.
When the ARPA funds were first announced, municipalities were told they could spend the money on sewer, water or broadband, Korpela said.
Dunn County did allocate $240,000 toward broadband, she noted.
The list of items that the ARPA money could be used for kept shifting and changing, but eventually it emerged that if a municipality had received less than $10 million, the money could be spent on pretty much anything, Korpela said.
Prior to being spent, Dunn County’s ARPA funds have earned some interest income for the county, she noted.
Larry Bjork, county board supervisor from the Town of Spring Brook, said he believed the money spent on the walking trail between the judicial center and the government center was well spent.
Korpela said that it was surprising the number of people who walked along Highway 12/29 to get between the two buildings — and how dangerous it was for people to be walking along the highway.
Luke Wilsey, county board supervisor from Menomonie, noted that he preferred to see the ARPA money spent on highways.
The Dunn County Board approved on a vote of 23 “yes” to five “no” to reallocate $1,185,002 in ARPA funds to purchase an integrated surveillance camera and door access system for all county buildings, with any remaining funding allocated to purchase or upgrade the county’s financial system.
Budget adjustments
The Dunn County Board also approved a resolution to amend the budget to allow the county to use grant funding that had been obtained.
Budget adjustments are a bookkeeping exercise so the county can use the grant funding, said Kelly McCullough, county board supervisor from Menomonie and chair of the Dunn County Board.
The grant funds included $2,439 for economic support; $234,300 for the Aging and Disability Resource Center; $5,350 for family and children; $12,239 for behavioral health.
The grant amounts totaled a little over $254,000.
The Dunn County Board approved the resolution for budget adjustments on a vote of 26 “yes” to two “no.” County board supervisors Larry Bjork and Dustin Shackleton voted against the resolution.
