New COVID relief projects submitted for Fort Mohave area by Mohave County Supervisors

KINGMAN – After an unsuccessful stimulus package earlier this year, Mohave County Supervisor Ron Gould is proposing two new projects for the Fort Mohave area.

This week, Gould proposed the use of $100,000 in funding under the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act to improve Fort Mohave’s Boys and Girls Club facility, and an additional $20,000 project to improve lighting, maintenance and repairs at the Golden Shores Civic Association facility.

According to county records, the Boys and Girls Club of Fort Mohave requested its proposed $100,000 in funding to purchase items for its facility, including shade for its play area, landscaping, artificial turf, furniture and equipment for the safe storage and service of food.

The organization’s administrative office and facility in Bullhead City has already received $250,000 in grant funding for improvements, proposed earlier this year by Mohave County District 2 Supervisor Hildy Angius.

According to the proposal, the coronavirus pandemic placed a considerable burden on the organization, with services expanded to protect children from possible exposure to the virus. The organization was forced to do more with less funding, according to officials, as donations slowed and the club temporarily shut down its thrift store during the pandemic. Grant funding that the organization once relied on were used to endure the economic impact of the pandemic.

Although circumstances have since improved for the organization in Fort Mohave, it continues to primarily serve children from low-income families.

In Golden Shores, the Civic Association relies largely on volunteers to serve area seniors. The Golden Shores Civic Association Community Center is home to community based programs including Meals on Wheels, Bingo Night, the Golden Shores/Topock Community Library, Neighborhood Watch meetings and other organized events in the Golden Shores area.

Lighting in the 47-year-old facility remains in need of repair, according to Gould’s proposal, and light fixtures may need to be updated for energy efficiency and cost savings. Gould says that 68 lights will need to be replaced or upgraded at the facility at a cost of $13,546. To ensure all costs are covered, Gould has requested $20,000 in ARPA funding.

Both proposals come after a successful October proposal by Gould for $78,000 in ARPA grant funding to support the Yucca Food Pantry, which reported depleted cash reserves due to the impact of the pandemic.

Prior to October, Gould’s only successful proposal for the use of his district’s $8.3 million in ARPA grant funding came in the form of a planned stimulus that delivered checks of $165 to each resident in his district. That project saw little interaction from Gould’s constituents, however, with only about $800,000 being disbursed.

The Supervisors will vote on Gould’s two new proposals at the board’s next meeting Tuesday in Kingman.