CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Kanawha County Commission is now receiving applications for the millions of dollars the county has received in federal pandemic relief funds.
Commissioner Ben Salango said the commission has received about $17 million of the $34 million it’s been allocated from the federal government. He said federal guidelines are pretty broad on what the funds can be used for.
“If it’s for economic development, if it’s for tourism, loss revenue, then you may qualify,” Salango said.
According to the commission website, “American Rescue Plan Funds can be used to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, to replace lost public revenues, to support economic stabilization, and to make necessary investments in water, sewer and broadband infrastructure.”
The commission has decided on a transparent process as it considers the applications and makes its decisions for funding, Salango said.
“Everyone will be made public. Everyone will be provided a comment period where you can either support or oppose the application and then it’s going to be voted on in a public forum,” Salango said. “Every meeting, we’ll have some applications we go through and we’ll vote whether to approve or deny the application.
The commission has hired a lawyer and an accountant to help oversee the program.
All funds must be used by Dec. 31, 2024.