BLUE EARTH– With work on the Faribault County Courthouse HVAC Project nearing completion, the Faribault County Commissioners took action at their Tuesday meeting to obligate $507,119 in ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds to help pay for the project.

“On March 9, the 2021-A Capital Improvement Bond funds for the HVAC project totaling $4,066,748 were fully expended,” county auditor/treasurer Darren Esser explained. “Therefore, HVAC expenditures since that moment have been paid for with general fund money.”

The commissioners asked Esser how much money was left in the ARPA funds.

“There is about $1.5 million that has not been obligated,” Esser replied. “I believe there will be somewhere in the area of $100,000 in ARPA funds left when we are done paying for the work on the courthouse.”

While on the subject of the courthouse project, the County Board approved pay application No. 2, in the amount of $44,026, to Sterling Systems, Inc. for asbestos abatement, and pay application No. 8, in the amount of $71,588, to Kraus-Anderson Construction Company.

In other business the board:

— Scheduled a work session for 8 a.m. Friday, April 21 to review data on wage compensation among Faribault County employees.

— Approved the training request of Central Service director Pam Krill to attend the Minnesota Counties Intergovernmental Trust training session on human resources management.