The county’s final report listed these expenditures through the CARES Act:

â-  Administration, $78,303.

â-  Cost of the county’s COVID-19 direct response, $5,209,842.

â-  Broadband deployment, $197,076.

â-  Payments to small businesses, $2,766,613.

â-  Assistance to Blair County municipalities, including the purchase of personal protective equipment, $2,238,874.

â-  Nonprofit assistance programs for tax-exempt entities, $511,529.

The Blair County commissioners on Wednesday approved their final report on the expenditure of more than $11 million of federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.

Commissioners Chairman Bruce Erb said after the meeting the money was “huge, huge” for many small businesses and nonprofit agencies.

The commissioners — Erb, Amy Webster and Laura Burke — were on a 5 p.m. Wednesday deadline to submit the final CARES Act report to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.

Implementing the CARES Act passed in response to the coronavirus pandemic was “a daunting task,” Erb said.

“The rules changed (at both the state and federal levels), and the amount of work behind the scenes has been incredible,” he said. But he said it was worth the effort. He said as he sees people in the street, they say to him, “Thank you. You helped keep the doors open.”

In talking about the grants, he mentioned organizations like the Altoona Curve baseball club, the cafe at the Bavarian Aid Society, area food banks, AMED and many other small businesses and nonprofits.

AMED’s grant of $1.5 million was among the largest, but, as Erb explained, AMED personnel “are on the front line” in the coronavirus response.

He said one of his pet projects was the extension of broadband to rural areas of the county. The CARES Act was able to fund eight small projects.

In preparing its final report, commissioners adjusted some of the figures.

For instance, the original appropriations did not include money for the Hollidaysburg American Legion Ambulance Service because of a procedural error.

When the county discovered the error, it was able to provide a grant of $28,3037 to the ambulance service.

Two other programs that were approved for funding were unable to spend the money and the final report reflects the deletion of those funds.

The commissioners worked with Susquehanna Accounting and Consulting Services, a consulting firm from Harrisburg, that made sure each business or agency that was approved for a grant, met the guidelines.

Erb said if the county appropriated money that did not conform to state and federal guidelines, the county would be responsible for reimbursing the government.

The consulting firm will continue to provide its services to the county throughout 2021, according to a board decision Wednesday afternoon.

Erb noted that while he was “grateful for what we got,” Pennsylvania’s seven largest counties received, per person, more funds.

If additional funds are allocated in 2021, he is hoping the states are removed from the picture and the federal government deals directly with municipalities.

He concluded his remarks by saying, “What a year it has been, a year like no other.”

Webster said the CARES Act “was a positive for a lot of municipalities and businesses.”

She said she encouraged local municipalities to submit an application for funding, and, like Erb, she expressed strong support for the effort to extend Broadband to residents in several rural areas of the county.