Karen Newman

County Human Resources Director Darren Brooke, and County Administrator Stephen Larson presented the Clay County CARES Act Committee’s latest funding proposals to the county commission at their September 22 meeting. Grant funds originated through the $7.7 million Clay County allotment from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Commissioner Jenny Mongeau spoke in support of a proposal to relocate the Motor Vehicle Department from its current location to the Moorhead Center Mall. She said, “Covid 19 distancing guidelines made it nearly impossible to use the present site.” County Administer Larson noted that currently only one or two customers at a time are admitted to the office. while the remainder wait outdoors or in their vehicles. The current building cannot be renovated to meet Covid guidelines by the CARES Act’s December 1 spending deadline.
The Clay County CARES Act Committee located a space in the Moorhead Center Mall which will provide 8800 square feet for the DMV in an area previously housing a furniture store. The new space is large enough to provide eleven customer service windows and lobby space for 30-40 customers to wait for appointments while remaining safely distanced. A kiosk will be located at the office entry where staff will meet citizens to check paperwork before they wait in line for service. The mall’s common areas will be available with social distancing if the office lobby fills to capacity. With additional customer service windows, part-time employees may receive additional hours if customer numbers warrant it. County tech infrastructure already is in place in the mall. The lease agreement permits the county to sublet to the state licensing division which is housed alongside DMV at the current site.
Commissioner Kevin Campbell spoke in favor of the mall location saying, “I couldn’t see us having people stand outside in -25-degree temperatures.” He pointed out that existing businesses in the Moorhead Center Mall will benefit from the extra foot traffic generated by DMV customers.
Commissioners approved taking a three-year Moorhead Center Mall lease with the option to extend the agreement for two additional years. The CARES Act funding will come to $568,300 which includes the three-year lease and structural changes to accommodate the DMV’s specific needs. The tentative move-in date is November 12 and 13.
County Information Services Director Mark Sloan, who works with the small relief aspect of county CARES Act funding, updated the commission. “Phase 1 targeted Clay County small businesses with fewer than twenty employees which were located outside Moorhead city limits. Moorhead had their own program.” Phase 1 also encouraged applications from sole proprietorships and nonprofits.” He explained that on Thursday, September 17, his office communicated with 124 Phase 1 grant recipients via email. Grant recipients were provided with the forms necessary to obtain their money. Pending paperwork completion, Sloan said his office hopes to send checks on October 1.
Phase two of the Small Business Relief CARES Act funding will be conducted county-wide. Sloan explained that eligibility for these grants targets businesses employing 20-50 full-time employees. The application process will include forms similar to those used for Phase 1. Grants will be available for up to $10,000/application upon committee approval.
Clay County eldercare facilities employ too many people to qualify for the CARES Act small business relief grants. The CARES Act Committee proposed and was granted permission to allocate $550,000 for eldercare facility relief from the Community Resiliency allotment. Clay County will contact each licensed provider to provide application guidance for the grants which may be as much as $25,000 each.
The county commission approved $86,161in CARES Act funding for cities and townships with under 200 population. Clay County has 13 townships and 4 cities that qualify to apply. Administrator Larson reminded the group that townships and cities may decide to designate their grants toward township schools or local emergency services.
The commission approved $279,000 to remodel an existing space on the third floor of the courthouse into a multi-purpose community meeting room. Remodeling costs and funds to deal with structural issues will be covered by the grant. There is a built-in contingency fund for unexpected expenses.
Commission Chair Frank Gross reminded meeting participants that precise documentation of all CARES Act funding must be preserved.