LAWTON – The Comanche County Board of Commissioners took care of housekeeping matters last Monday, including forms for county employees who received premium pay under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
The commission voted unanimously to approve the Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector’s ARPA-3 forms, which provide documentation indicating that only eligible employees received premium pay. The forms also help counties make sure that the amount of premium pay stayed within the limits allowed under the guidelines.
“This is the OSAI form that they required for us to pay the premium pay,” said Commission Chairman Alvin Cargill.
ARPA provides $3.19 billion in financial assistance for state, local and tribal governments that were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Recipients can use the money for responding to the public health and economic crisis; upgrade water, sewer and broadband service; replace lost revenue; and provide hazard pay for essential workers.
The state of Oklahoma received $1.87 billion for projects designed to benefit all residents, and local units of government have $1.32 billion available to them.
Last fall, the county earmarked $1.6 million in ARPA funds to provide hazard pay for essential employees who worked for the county between April 1, 2020, and May 31, 2021. That list included people who worked directly for the county, as well as employees of the Comanche County Agricultural and Industrial Exposition and Fair Public Trust Authority and the Comanche County Facilities Authority.
The county later expanded the list to include former employees who were on the county’s payroll between April 1, 2020, and May 31, 2021.
Funding for the premium pay program came out of the county’s share of ARPA dollars, estimated at $23 million. The county has received $12.5 million so far and expects the rest to arrive later this year.
In other business, the commission renewed an agreement between the Comanche County Health Department and health literacy consultant M. Cecilia Rosendo.
Under the agreement, Rosendo will work with the health department on creating public health messaging. She will also help the department educate the county’s Spanish-speaking residents about healthy lifestyle options.
The county will pay Rosendo $22 an hour for her services, as well as the state’s per-mile travel rate, according to the agreement. Her total compensation will not exceed $25,000 for the term of the agreement, which will begin July 1 and end June 30, 2023.