The rest will go toward cybersecurity upgrades, police cameras, a public works truck, paramedic training and equipment, an air conditioning unit, a painting project and a contribution for work planned at the University of South Carolina Beaufort.
The city's $6.7 million in federal aid from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, passed in March 2021 to speed up the country's recovery from the pandemic, began arriving last fall and now about a quarter of it is on the verge of being released after months of discussions on how it would be best put to use.
On Tuesday, City Council members unanimously voted to give preliminary approval to spending $1.5 million of the total. Final approval still is required on March 8.
The city originally proposed spending $270,064 as a bonus for essential employees who worked during the emergency, but bumped that to $330,000 after increasing the number of those eligible for the bonuses and adding the health insurance credit, Finance Director Alan Eisenman said.
All 129 full-time active city employees and four independent contractors who worked during the Governor's State of Emergency, from mid-March 2020 to early June 2021, will receive the $1,500 payment. City Council members and 11 employees, including department heads and City Manager Bill Prokop and Deputy City Manager Reece Bertholf, will not receive the bonuses. Two city judges also will not receive bonuses.
Another 13 part-time employees will receive $500 bonuses.
All active full-time employees also will receive a $25 health insurance credit each pay period through June 30, 2023. For example, if an employee pays $100 for health insurance, that amount will be reduced to $75, Eisenman said.
In addition, the city plans to:
- Spend $325,000 on police car cameras and video systems, and $91,024 for police body cameras. Old equipment is being replaced, police spokesman George Erdel said.
- Contribute $185,000 to replace the seats and carpet at the Arts Center auditorium at the University of South Carolina Beaufort.
- Spend $145,518 on cyber security enhancements to IT infrastructure that will improve protections for emails, archiving services and hardware.
- Buy a bucket truck for $165,000 for use by Public Works.
- Purchase four cardiac cardiac monitors for $120,000. Fire Chief Tim Ogden said the equipment will be placed on four "front-line" fire trucks.
- Replace the air conditioning unit at 500 Carteret St. for $108,000. The city's Downtown Operations & Community Services department is located in the building and the Beaufort Digital Corridor, which promotes Beaufort's technology entrepreneurs.
- Use $40,425 to match a grant the Fire Department received to train paramedics and advanced emergency medical technicians.
- Earmark $30,000 for painting of the Waterfront Park pavilion.
The first half of the city's $6.7 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds arrived in September, Eisenman said.
It's been been placed in a special account that can't be released until the City Council agrees on how to spend it.
The second half will arrive in September of this year, Funds must be obligated by Dec. 31, 2024 and spent by Dec. 31, 2026.
With the allocation of the $1.5 million, that leaves $5.2 million left to spend. City officials have previously discussed spending $4 million on stormwater infrastructure and $1 million on affordable housing loans and grants but the details have yet to be finalized.
©2022 The Island Packet (Hilton Head, S.C.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
