BOCC approves DMH expenditure of ARPA funds

HOLMES COUNTY – With
the approval of a new procurement policy, the Holmes County Board of
County Commissioners gave the go ahead for Doctors Memorial Hospital to purchase equipment with American Rescue Plan funds when they met in regular session on Tuesday, August 17. 

DMH
staff will work with Liberty Partners in the effort to make sure the
proper procedures are followed when purchasing the nearly $400,000 of
equipment. Commissioners made it clear that helping the hospital was their number one priority with the ARPA funding over the last few meetings but none have been more vocal than Brandon Newsom. “We need to be more effective here locally,”
said Newsom. “We need to be able to have access to life-saving
equipment here at home instead of having to send people to other places.
Even if it only saves one life, it is money well spent.” 

DMH and Liberty Partners will be going through a bid process for the procurement of the needed equipment. 

The
county is set to advertise Ordinance 2021-04 which deals with
conceptual plats for the comprehensive plan. Attorney Brandon Young says
the comp plan needs updating, “With some of our municipalities using our comprehensive plan as their own,”
said Young. “We need to update it to fall more in line with what we are
trying to achieve in the future. Once updated the municipalities will
have the choice to opt into it.” 

Commissioners are looking into sitting members of the Tourist Development Council after member Angela Dockery raised concerns about the running of the board. “I would like to see how the funds from the bed tax are being spent to bring tourism to Holmes County,” said Dockery. “I am being told however, that even as a sitting member of the board, I am not allowed to see financial
statements. That is a problem.”  Young says the issue needs to be
looked into and hasnÂ’t been in several years. Commissioners agreed to
reach out to each member to find out how long they have served and if their time is up. Chairman Earl Stafford says he will find out each members status and come back to the board with recommendations at the next meeting. 

The Holmes County Board of County Commissioners will meet again in regular session at 6 p.m. on September 7.