During its regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, Dec. 16, members of the Limestone County Commission unanimously approved a supplemental resolution for the allocation of the remaining balance of the American Rescue Plan Act funds to the Mental Health Center of North Central Alabama, Inc.

The $230,284.01 in funds will supplement the initial allocation to the Decatur-based corporation to cover the “reasonable costs” related to the opening of the children’s outpatient mental health clinic this past week at 1309 E. Elm Street in Athens.

“This is going to be huge for our community moving forward,” Limestone County Commission Chairman Collin Daly told The News Courier after their meeting at the Clinton Street Courthouse Annex concluded. “The focus on mental health has always been a big focal point for us. We initially gave them $600,000 to help build the building, so this leftover APRA funding is to ensure that this is a success.”

The ARPA funds were established by the federal government to support local governments in recovery efforts following the coronavirus pandemic. The Limestone County Commission has allocated these funds for the expansion of lifesaving resources and to support vital community projects, such as Athens-Limestone Youth Counseling — a program of the Mental Health Center of North Central Alabama, Inc.

“Anytime you can do something to help children, you are doing the right thing,” Daly said. “I want to thank the commission body as a whole for seeing this as an immediate need in Limestone County. We all have been 100 percent supportive of this initiative, and that speaks to how important it is for all of us to give this resource to the people of our community.”

In other business the commission:

— Approved an agency agreement with the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office for the National Voting Rights Act confirmation mailing process.

— Approved a Memorandum of Understanding with Mid America Health, Inc. for inmate portable dental services.

— Approved a preliminary engineering and construction agreement for a highway infrastructure program project between the state of Alabama and the Limestone County Commision for resurfacing and improvements on Bethel Road.

— Awarded a bid to Peregrine Services, Inc. for tag mail notices in the amount of $0.095 per mailer.

— Approved the hire of Makenzy Jackson and Taylor Addy Long as communications officers, pending a drug screening.

— Approved several merit increases for county employees.

— Approved the sale of an ice maker from the engineering department on GovDeals.

— Approved their participation in the ACCA Liability Self-Insurance Fund, 2025 Property Program.

— Approved the purchase of 10 Kenworth T880 trucks with 16’ Stampede 26 CY truck beds through the ACCA Joint Bid Program.

— Approved the closing of county offices on Tuesday, Dec. 24, for Christmas Eve.