FARMINGTON — Franklin County commissioners voted Thursday to use just over $280,000 from two jail-related funding sources to support building an addition onto the jail for medical services.

Commissioners accepted the lowest bid of $698,798 from E. J. Perry Construction Co. of Hallowell to build a 450-square-foot addition at the Franklin County Detention Center on County Way.

Commissioners initially reserved $250,000 for the project from American Rescue Plan Act funds. On Oct. 8, they decided to use another $168,790.70 from the federal funds to help pay for the project.

On Thursday, commissioners voted to use $107,635 from the state medication assistance funding and $172,372.30 from state jail funding to cover the remaining cost of the project.

That leaves $544,722.24 not obligated to projects from the allotted $5.86 million in ARPA funds.

Commissioners heard from several organizations, county staff and others requesting the federal funds for a variety of reasons. The total in requests is nearly $1.2 million from 16 applications. Commissioners have already funded several projects in the community and improvements to county buildings.

Commissioners will make a decision on the funding requests in November.

The work on the addition at the jail is expected to begin in spring 2025, Sue Pratt, county program administrator for ARPA funds, said.

In other business, commissioners also voted to allow the Farmington Downtown Association to decorate the pine tree in front of the Franklin County Courthouse for the holiday season.

The organization plans to light the tree in front of the courthouse for Chester Greenwood Day on Dec. 7. The lights would be removed at the end of the year. The Farmington Fire Rescue Department is going to help the association get the lights on the tree.

The lights will be all white, the same as last year, Amy Bernard, county administrator, said.