Once again, American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds dominated the Marshall County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday. Supervisors approved four ARPA expenditures which would benefit the county.

The expenditures included:

• $27,461 for the Region 6 Housing Trust Fund

• $180,000 for the Timmons Shower House

• $254,925.79 for secondary roads, radios and base units

• $30,000 for tactical vests for the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office.

• The total of all four items is $492,386.79.

Supervisor Dave Thompson said the money for the Region 6 Housing Trust Fund would actually be Marshall County’s match to the region in order to receive money from the state of Iowa.

“Our $27,000 allows Marshall County to receive $144,531,” he said.

Marshall County Conservation Director Mike Stegmann told the supervisors about the plan for the Timmons Shower House. He said one of the items on the comprehensive plan of the Conservation Board has been to make improvements to facilities. Minor improvements have been made at Timmons Grove County Park, such as installing electricity and water. The next step is to install a shower house, Stegmann said.

“It’s a request,” he said. “People who are using the facility — we polled them in person, asking what would make this facility more attractive, more suitable for longer stays and all said a shower house.”

Afterward, Stegmann said the board looked at funding possibilities for the $313,000 project and a $150,000 Land and Water Conservation grant was applied for.

“We’re looking to fill that gap in with additional funding sources and we could do that with ARPA funding,” he said.

Using the ARPA funds would also allow the Conservation Board to save resources for other upcoming projects. Stegmann said the shower house would fall into the categories allowed for ARPA funding such as tourism.

Thompson asked Stegmann how the Green Castle project was coming along and was told it is “stagnant” because of its immensity.

Marshall County Engineer Paul Geilenfeldt told the supervisors the money for the secondary roads, radios and base units would go along with the current effort to upgrade the emergency communications system.

Thompson was very pleased to see the $30,000 for tactical vests for sheriff personnel.

“I’ve always felt our reserve deputies and our courthouse security should have tactical vests,” he said. “They come in contact with some of the most unhappy people on a daily basis.”

Sgt. Ben Veren told the supervisors the vests would give the staff the ability to carry more items. By getting the vests, he said it will allow them to carry all of the proper equipment.

In other business:

The supervisors conveyed property to the Iowa Regional Utilities Association for the construction of the Green Mountain Sewer Project. Thompson said the project has been 11 years in the making.

“This is one of the last steps in getting this approved so they can take care of construction,” he said.

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Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.