DeKalb County Mayor Tim Stribling had some good news to share at the last County Commission meeting last week, announcing plans for the county to get a new health department center. Stribling shared a letter by Lisa Piercey, the Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health, he was given during a meeting with Regional Health Director Angel Troxell and local Health Director Michael Railing.
The proposed 12,000 square foot health department would cost $3,915,400 and usually require matching funds, but according to Stribling the county’s share of American Rescue Plan funds can be used for the project at a lower cost.
“The County has been very fortunate in the past few years to have been able to take advantage of some grants for our Health Department,” Mayor Stribling said during the commission meeting. “I think in the last three or four years we’ve probably have received probably close to $250,000 in grants to be able to renovate our Health Department … When we were awarded those grants, the commission approved them. There was no matching funds for those grants at all.”
“I got a visit late last week from our Regional Health Director Angel Troxell and also our Health Director Michael Railing and they gave me a letter that was from Lisa Piercey the Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health, dated January 12, 2022, addressed to the county mayor, that DeKalb County will be receiving a new health department in the next few years.”
Stribling explained that normally the grant would require a 25 percent match from the county, which would be a $978,900 out of the general fund. But, reading from the letter Stribling explained that the county can use ARP funds at a lower cost to taxpayers. “Local matching funds may come from the county’s direct allocation of the American Rescue Plan Act. The department encourages this practice as this would lessen burdens on local general fund obligations and align with the intent of the FSAG approved capital investment program. Each capital investment grant would require a 25 percent match of the project’s total cost, not to exceed 10 percent of the ARP direct allocation.”
“What this means is, instead of a normal match of 25 percent, which would be $978,900, we would be allowed to use our ARP funds in the amount of $398,000,” Stribling explained. “So, the state would fund $3,517,400, and the county, if they used the ARP match, which I think it would be the right thing to do, would fund $398,000.”
According to Stribling, there are five counties that are getting new health departments, and the total cost includes surveys, environmental impact statements, engineering fees, land preparation, land clearing and site prep, and utilities.
The county commission has not yet voted to approve the project and how it will be funded, and the location of the new department has yet to be determined. County officials say they are looking at property located next to the current health department as a possibility.
