Finance and Budget Committee approves $1.9 million expenditure list; staff outlines new permitting software contract

On Sept. 24, 2025, the Finance and Budget Committee approved the county expenditure list totaling $1,897,095.07 in a 4-0 vote. The committee discussed a line item, claim 2058, which county staff said covers GovWell permitting software and related installation under Contract 2025-425 with Carahsoft Technology Corp.

The discussion matters because the claim is a sizable annual software expense that county staff said will be allocated across multiple departments. Karen, a county staff member, told commissioners the purchase is a software-as-a-service contract that includes installation and will be split among departments that use permitting software. ‘‘This is a new service that we're receiving, Govwell, for permitting through the planning department,’’ Karen said, adding, ‘‘I believe this is for 1 year.’’ Commissioner O'Neil asked, ‘‘are these just the yearly package things?’’ and staff confirmed the cost is an annual contract and that the installation may replace prior permitting software.

According to staff, the GovWell contract will be shared among planning, code enforcement, the general fund’s unallocated costs, roads, water and the metro fund. Karen said the software is intended to replace an earlier permitting system that was not compatible across departments and compared it to Cityworks and the county’s previous Accela-based permitting processes.

The committee also reviewed several budget transfers. Staff described small transfers including an $11.14 increase in health department printing, dues and training to cover plan materials and a training subscription; a $200 transfer from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program to neighborhood improvements to reimburse an individual for gas supplies for an aging-in-place program; two separate $16,000 transfers for machinery and equipment related to trailers capable of hauling loaders and excavators (one tagged to metro and one to roads) because existing trailers cannot pull the new machinery; and an increase to health department family services machinery and equipment to purchase new cubicles for the WIC program, which staff said has been approved by the state.

The motion to approve the expenditure list was made, seconded and carried 4-0. The transcript does not record a separate roll-call vote specifically on each listed transfer; staff presented the transfers as part of the week's budget paperwork during the meeting.

There were no additional directions recorded for follow-up action beyond the approval of the expenditure list and the presentation of the transfers. With no further questions, the committee adjourned.