Dale commission requests $400,000 to benefit emergency rescue organizations

The Dale County Commission has applied for $400,000 grant assistance to benefit emergency rescue agencies in the county.

The commissioners passed a resolution at the Dale County Commission meeting March 9 requesting the grant assistance from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus Grant Funds.

The state of Alabama received a total award of $40,459,786 in three separate allocations from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development under the CARES Act. Under the state plan, all 67 counties will be awarded a predetermined amount of coronavirus grant funds based on their populations upon submission and approval of grant applications.

The local grant allocation is being administered through the Southeast Alabama Regional Planning Commission, Dale County Commission Chairman Steve McKinnon explained. “The Dale County Commission is proposing to implement multiple projects in partnership with jurisdictions in Dale County utilizing DCBG-CV funding in order to prevent, prepare for and respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Dale County.”

McKinnon said the funds will be used to benefit the emergency rescue organizations serving Dale County and will be disbursed the same way that the Dale County Tag Tax Fund money currently is.

In other business, the commission approved the employment of Willie Worsham as the new Dale County Emergency Management Agency Director and appointed Worsham to the Ozark-Dale County E911 board. They also approved a $5,000 capital expenditure to remodel the EMA office.

In unrelated business, the commission reappointed Wess Etheredge and Debbie Kirkland to the Dale County Water Authority Board.

The next meeting of the Dale County Commission is March 23 in the Dale County Government Building. A work session begins at 10 a.m. and is followed immediately by a voting meeting. Both meetings are open to the public.