Town seeks more CARES Act funding

The second application for funding under the CARES Act has been approved by Moorcroft’s council and subsequently submitted to the State Land and Investment Board (SLIB). According to deputy clerk Jody Clark, this new application includes $40,000 for a heart monitor to be installed in the town’s second ambulance, $23,765 for bunker gear for the fire department, $6,478 upgrading phones and $52,600 sprayer system to better disinfect large areas and other needed personal protective equipment (PPE). The total amount requested is $242,500.

Of the $203,000 already allocated to the town, though not yet received, $4000 has been earmarked to purchase three laptops for the clerks, who may have to work from home in the future. To date, all three of the town’s clerks have had to quarantine a number of days due to exposure to COVID-19, vulnerability of family members and illness.

Of the remaining $198,000, most will be used specifically to reimburse town coffers for the sick time paid to employees who could not come in to work; in turn, returning the sick time to the employees.

If practical, Mayor Dick Claar advocates also paying hazard pay retroactively with remaining funds, but this subject has not yet been discussed formally amongst the council.

Clerk/Treasurer Cheryl Schneider explained how such an action would be possible for Moorcroft if the town chose to follow this suggestion: “We pay $2 for every hour [an employee] worked since COVID-19 started, [they] would forego a bonus and do that instead.”

The moneys to be paid through the pandemic related CARES Act are a federal grant, mandating audit. Schneider, along with CPA/auditor Deidra Budahl of Casey Peterson and Associates have perused the accounting for these funds and are confident that the grant is being spent according to the intent. Schneider spoke of her discussion with Budahl, “We just want to make sure out Ts are crossed and our Is dotted because it’s so new for everyone. If we are audited, I feel extremely comfortable.”