La Plata County was reimbursed about $3.4 million for costs and expenses incurred from the COVID-19 pandemic, said county spokeswoman Megan Graham.
“The county is super pleased to receive such a high rate of reimbursement for these critical expenses,” Graham said. “It’s improved our ability to respond to the pandemic and serve the community effectively.”
In July, Colorado’s Department of Local Affairs notified county officials it would approve up to $3.9 million in spending on COVID-19-related costs.
In September, La Plata County commissioners approved allocating these funds, but the county was required to pay out-of-pocket, and then file for reimbursements later with DOLA, Graham said.
Nearly every filing for reimbursement was approved by DOLA, Graham said.
“Less than a half percent was deemed ineligible, which is amazing if you think about that,” she said.
Of the estimated $3.4 million approved for reimbursement, about $680,000 went to San Juan Basin Public Health, the local health department for Archuleta and La Plata counties, which has taken the lead in the response to the pandemic.
Graham said the money was also spent on other public health-related issues, such as remodeling a bathroom at the La Plata County Jail to improve social distancing and installing cubicles at the Department of Human Services.
Local businesses also applied for and received an estimated $1.17 million in relief. The county had teamed up with Local First to help disburse the money through a grant application process.
About $265,000 was used for the COVID-19 testing sites at the La Plata County Fairgrounds and Fort Lewis College, Graham said.
About $197,000 was spent on housing support through a partnership with United Way and Housing Solutions for the Southwest, the majority of which was spent on rent assistance.
Graham said some money was also used to help shelter people who needed to quarantine in local hotels. About $113,000 was allocated to food programs, such as Meals on Wheels and the Durango Food Bank.
About $173,000 was spent on personnel directly related to the pandemic, and another $173,000 was spent on personal protective equipment.
Graham said about $67,000 was used to help county officials work remotely, which means the effort was funded by federal tax dollars, not local ones.
Only about $56,000 in costs were not reimbursed by DOLA, Graham said, such as some equipment purchased by the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office and food and water bought for volunteers at the COVID-19 testing site.
Graham noted how quickly La Plata County received its reimbursements.
“Oftentimes, it can take such a long time,” she said. “But La Plata County is so practiced in documentation we were able to turn it around quickly. It’s something we have tightly dialed.”
jromeo@durangoherald.com
