CARMEL- County Executive Kevin Byrne Friday commended members of the Putnam Legislature for protecting the $2.1 million in federal (ARPA) funding by approving the reallocation of dollars from the county’s previously planned Stabilization Center project to countywide road paving projects.
The nine-member Legislature made the decision at this week’s monthly meeting because the ARPA funds had to be spent by Dec. 31, the deadline set by the U.S. Treasury.
Byrne noted that while the reallocation was successful, his administration has also preserved Putnam’s commitment to expanding mental health services through a separate $2.1 million Mental Health Reserve Fund, providing Putnam with greater flexibility to invest in behavioral health initiatives without the restrictive federal requirements attached to pandemic-era relief dollars.
Byrne called the result a “win for Putnam County taxpayers on multiple fronts. We refused to let more than $2 million in federal funding go to waste. Instead, we worked diligently with federal officials, secured additional guidance from the U.S. Treasury, and found a path that allows us to improve roads across Putnam County while still maintaining our strong commitment to expanding mental health services through a more flexible funding source.”
Residents had been passionate on both sides of the aisle when testifying at a Carmel Planning Board public hearing last year on a plan to locate the center in Carmel. In the end, it was rejected by the seven-member board.
The United States is facing a behavioral health crisis and Putnam County is not immune.
People USA explained that a crisis stabilization center would allow those in mental hygiene crisis, be it substance abuse or mental health, to voluntarily visit the facility staffed by licensed clinicians, nurses, and peer specialists in a less traumatic experience than a hospital emergency room.
After two sites for the center fell through in 2023, a new site was selected to be operated by at 1071 Stoneleigh Ave. in Carmel, providing whole health assessments in addition to motivational interviewing and de-escalation.
The center’s proposed location was adjacent to the Putnam Rail Trail where a woman was attacked in 2024 by a homeless man, as well as near an over-55 senior housing complex. The Putnam Plaza Shopping Center was also within walking distance.
At a public hearing, many residents of The Retreat, including a woman who identified herself as a psychologist, charged that Carmel had become “destabilized.”
The Carmel Planning Board listened to its constituency and rejected the proposal by a unanimous vote.
Legislature Chairman Dan Birmingham said, “Due to circumstances beyond our control, it became clear that People USA was unable to perform under the contract to deliver around-the-clock services and that People USA had not expended funds by June 1 in accordance with the terms of the contract.”
Byrne executed a termination of convenience of the contract last month.
Comments