Barnstable County Commissioners Mark Forest, Ronald Bergstrom and Sheila Lyons.

HYANNIS – Enough COVID recovery projects to total $14 million have applied to the Barnstable County American Rescue Plan Act grant program that has been allocated only one third that amount. 

Projects for affordable housing, public health, broadband access and more are looking to share in the $5 million grant program.

County commissioners including Ronald Bergstrom and Mark Forest have considered if more money should be allocated in response.

“We have such a high number of high-quality applications. just because the decision is made on the $5 million doesn’t necessarily mean we foreclosed revisiting that cap,” said Forest during the most recent commissioner meeting.

Meanwhile, county-recommended projects that could help boost the same sectors with just over $13.5 million. Harik said many of the projects directly respond to COVID. 

“The largest single number of pre-applicants here, numbered 12, are in the public health category. second is in the food security category, so you’re seeing a reverse sort of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs here in terms of the ways in which these letters of intent scored,” said Harik.

Since the program opened in May, the county has awarded seven grants to five towns totaling close to $7 million. The county has received about $41 million from the federal government for COVID recovery.

The county has until the end of 2024 to obligate the $41 million it received from the federal government.

 

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Originally Appeared Here