LAWTON – The Comanche County Fairgrounds Authority will receive an $88,000 grant to upgrade the fairgrounds’ bathrooms and bring them up to the Americans with Disabilities Act’s standards.
With little discussion, the Comanche County Board of Commissioners voted 3-0 June 24 to approve the award to the Fairgrounds Authority. The funds will come out of the county’s pot of American Rescue Plan Act dollars.
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 was a federal relief package designed to help local units of government recover from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Oklahoma received about $1.87 billion in federal aid under ARPA, and Comanche County’s share of that money was about $23.45 million.
The county has allocated approximately $22.11 million in ARPA dollars to various projects so far, leaving about $1.33 million in the pot, according to an ARPA funds budget draft dated June 18. The board approved the draft June 24.
All ARPA funds must be allocated by the end of this year and spent by Dec. 31, 2026.