SW Iowa Times

Page County officials have incurred nearly $200,000 of additional COVID-19-related expenses and are seeking reimbursement from the state.

Gov. Kim Reynolds announced that $125 million of the state's $1.25 billion CARES Act money would be distributed to counties and cities to help with various COVID-19 expenses. 

"We're appreciative of the funds and are glad the governor has finally released it," Chuck Morris, Chairman of the Page County Board of Supervisors, told KMALand. "I know there's been a lot of discussion on how to reimburse these extraordinary expenses that public health – as an example – has incurred. We also have the door monitor. Those are just two real quick examples, but there have been other costs. The Treasurer's Department had cost incurred with monitoring the door in the early stages. A survey of all these costs that are reimbursable will be taken and we'll get these dollars back into Page County's coffers."

Part of the funds are to be used to add hours to a part-time public health employee's workload. The supervisors approved the move with Morris objecting, saying he's unsure of whether the position will be able to continue to be funded in the future.

"I'm not opposed to hiring somebody, but what I'm concerned about is none of us really know what kind of impact our budgets going to have next year," Morris said. "Having this same ability beyond the COVID crunch concerns me. As one human being, I'm really uncomfortable telling any employee 'Here's your full-time benefit package, but in six months we may have to take it away.'"

Morris said he anticipates that adding 10 hours a week to this employee's schedule may not be enough to cover the accelerated needs of the department and suggested reaching out to recently retired nurses to see if they would be willing to step in. 

The county will also use CARES Act funding to fund a door monitor at the courthouse and additional hours for law enforcement and the County Treasurer's Office.