WC Wisconsin News

The Eau Claire County board Sept. 22 approved allocating $2.75 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds for COVID-19 relief and county infrastructure improvements, the Leader-Telegram reported.

This is the county's second allocation of federal rescue funds, bringing the total on unspent money to about  $14.8 million, the story said. The funds must be allocated by the end of 2024, the newspaper said.

The latest allocation will include $2 million for businesses and nonprofits, $250,000 for COVID-19 response, $250,000 for infrastructure and $250,000 to administer the program, according to the Leader-Telegram.

It includes $30,000 to pay for a broadband administrator who will assist the county Broadband Committee as it allocates $2.8 million, allocated in July for development of high-speed internet. The $2.8 million was also from the American Rescue Plan and was allocated in July.

The latest funds for COVID-19 response will be used to fund work by the Eau Claire City-County Health Department including the isolation and quarantine process, the story said.

According to the White House, the American Rescue Plan allocated more than $360 billion to governments nationally to help offset the COVID-19 economic crisis. The legislation also included $1,400 stimulus checks for individuals as well as money to vaccine programs and other pandemic relief efforts.