DeKalb CARES renewal approved to spend remaining ARP funds for water-repair program

The PECS committee voted to renew several contracts and authorize spending of remaining ARP funds to complete DeKalb CARES — a county program that repairs private sewer laterals, converts septic to sewer, and fixes emergency water leaks.

Director Mitchell told the committee the CAP CARES water-repair program began in 2022 with $5 million in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds. "We've completed over 233 projects so far," he said, and described a remaining contract balance sought through exercising the first renewal options for existing contractors. The committee packet lists the renewal as contract number set 1382471/1382499/1382509 with a combined amount not to exceed $1,926,356.50.

Mitchell said roughly $3 million of the ARP appropriation has been spent to date and that the program selects beneficiaries using a 60% area median income (AMI) threshold. Commissioners asked for operational detail: how many applications are pending, the average per-repair cost and whether the remaining $1.9 million will be sufficient to clear the backlog. Commissioner Long Spears cited the packet’s figures: total funds expended $3,073,643 and an average cost of $13,191 per repair; Mitchell said some recent jobs can reach the $20,000 range.

Several elected officials flagged ARP compliance and timing: commissioners and grants staff reminded the group that ARP spending and reporting have federal deadlines and that ARP-funded work cannot continue past the date the grant permits. Deputy County Attorney Phillips and a procurement/grants staff member recommended clarifying contract language in the agenda item to indicate that ARP funding lapses at the end of the federal grant period and that the county will identify alternative funding sources should longer performance periods be needed.

The committee approved the contract renewals (item 2026-0432) by voice vote; staff said purchasing will update the contract language to reflect ARP time limits and to delineate funding sources if ARP cannot be used beyond the federal deadline.

What to watch

- Funding timeline: Staff and commissioners asked procurement and grants staff to confirm the latest date ARP funds may be spent and to reflect any ARP limitations in the contract language.
- Backlog and capacity: With 155 active jobs reported and roughly 657 notices to proceed issued, commissioners requested a plan to accelerate contractor throughput and to identify non-ARP funding sources for continuation next year if needed.

Next steps

Purchasing will revise the item language and purchasing/contracts staff will work with grants to provide precise dates and constraints. The approved renewals let contractors continue work under the existing contract mechanism through the renewal period, subject to ARP compliance and audit.