The CARES Act allocations were discussed at the recent Schuylkill County commissioners meeting.

County Administrator Gary Bender provided a recap Thursday.

The county was given $12.6 million from the federal government. Of that, millions has been allotted to county related projects.

Bender said those eligible entities that applied for funds and met criteria should receive money soon.

“It was a very difficult program. We are preparing for getting contracts and getting signatures,” he said, adding the process has taken time to complete.

“If they qualified, there’s monies that are going out to them,” Commissioner George Halcovage Jr. said.

Commissioners’ Chairman Barron “Boots” Hetherington said those who applied had to meet federal and state regulations.

“We did our best,” he said.

He commended Bender and Finance Director Paul Buber for their dedicated work.

At a press conference earlier this month, which Halcovage attended along with Hetherington, Bender, Buber and Mark Morgan, director of Susquehanna Accounting & Consulting Solutions Inc., guidelines and the review process was discussed.

Morgan said 22 municipal, 48 nonprofit and 47 for profit applications were received.

Applicants had to meet requirements to qualify for funding.

Preliminary information indicated small businesses could get about $750,000, the nonprofits about $257,000 and municipalities about $300,000, Morgan had said.

The firm made the recommendations on awarding money after following applicable requirements, Morgan said. The commissioners had to concur, he said, although identifying information was not provided.

Morgan said he didn’t know why more entities didn’t apply.

“I don’t think there is anything else we could have done to increase the response,” he said.

“We have a responsibility to every citizen in this county,” Halcovage said in allocation of the funds.

Bob Carl, executive director of the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce, held a press conference last month to talk about the funding.

“This press conference was in no means called to embarrass the county commissioners but rather to challenge their current position on the $12.6 million of CARES Act funding received by the county of Schuylkill,” Carl said.

He went on to say “we believe the unmet need is much greater than is being recognized or previously anticipated.”

Carl said, “The chamber feels the communications related to these processes have been very sparse and there has been a lack of transparency from the commissioners and their administration.”

Bender gave the county block grant application to the chamber and three other organizations Aug. 18, Carl said. It was given to chamber members Aug. 19 and to the public via the website and social media. Application deadline was two weeks later. The chamber also sent emails to membership about the opportunity to apply, Carl said.

He said the “unmet need in the CDFI ( Community Development Financial Institutions) process from Schuylkill County alone is 296 unmet applications and over $6.1 million in requests.”

He said the “unmet need is compelling and known by our county commissioners. Despite the commissioners’ assumptions that there is not an unmet need in Schuylkill County, the chamber’s opinion, strong opinion, is that there is a major unmet need in Schuylkill County,” Carl said.

He said many businesses could “close their doors” this year.

Commissioners and Morgan said there is unallocated money, more than $1 billion, in Harrisburg from CARES Act funding not dispersed. The county could potentially receive millions more. Because of the short time frame for spending the money, Dec. 31, it would likely be easiest to give to municipalities, they said. The county had about $17 million in qualifying COVID-19 related expenses, Halcovage said at the press conference. Those costs included unemployment insurance, Family Medical Leave, personal protective equipment, capital project related expenses and others, Morgan said.

“We have $4 million left of COVID-related costs for the county,” Halcovage said.