The Berrien County Board of Commissioners could lose out on millions in federal dollars for building projects if it doesn’t act quickly to decide what those projects will be. At a Thursday meeting, the board heard from Dan Bacchiocchi of Bacchiocchi Construction, a firm the county has hired to help it prioritize construction and maintenance work. He said the county’s total needs amount to $18.4 million, while it has $15.8 available. On top of that, County Administrator Brian Dissette warned that the chatter out of Washington could lead to the loss of ARPA dollars if decisions aren’t made. Dissette told us more.
“They are currently in a debate about the future of the debt ceiling, and through that debate, one of the things that appears to be on the table is a potential claw back of unused ARPA funds,” Dissette said. “What that means for Berrien County is it behooves us to formally adopt a plan for the spend down of the ARPA funds so there is no argument that the funds have been used and they’ve been invested back into public facilities.”
Congressman Bill Huizenga has told us a claw back of unused COVID dollars could be part of a debt ceiling deal. Dissette told commissioners Thursday they should come up with a plan for using those funds and have contracts locked in before the goal posts are moved. Previously, uses for ARPA dollars had to be established by the end of 2024. Dissette says that could change. Bacchiocchi helped identify dozens of projects that are the most important. They’ll come first. With the concurrence of commissioners, Dissette said he could have a resolution in the next few weeks to begin seeking bids.
