The Finance Committee on Sept. 15 reviewed several capital projects proposed to be paid from public‑safety or capital funds, including the final payment on a command bus, replacement/outfitting of patrol vehicles, a proposed move of jail air‑conditioning units to the roof, and parking lot repaving at the EMA and forensic‑center sites.

Major capital items and committee discussion:
- Command bus: Staff reported a remaining balance on the command bus project of about $789,000; project managers noted an additional $10,000 of wiring and communications work may be billed this year. The committee discussed whether the remainder should be transferred from public‑safety funds.
- Patrol vehicles and outfitting: A packet line lists three trucks and six SUVs (replacement/outfitting) and the committee saw an aggregated estimate of about $600,000 to purchase and fully outfit the vehicles, including graphics, dash cams and in‑car equipment.
- Jail air conditioning: County staff presented an early estimate of $1.5 million to relocate and roof‑mount the jail air‑conditioning units and add required structural supports; an architect is working on more detailed bids and staff said they expect a firmer number before finalizing the budget.
- Parking lots and site work: Estimates provided were approximately $46,030 for the EMA parking lot and $84,003.30 for the forensic‑center parking lot; staff said bids may be combined to seek a lower price.
- Courthouse security: The committee agreed to move $21,000 for three metal detectors from the sheriff/general fund to the public‑safety budget line for building security and panic‑button maintenance; the metal detectors will be used in courthouse screening and are covered by a three‑year warranty, staff said.

Fund status and transfer discussion: Staff presented public‑safety fund totals: revenues projected at roughly $4.86 million and proposed public‑safety expenditures totaling about $7.98 million, leaving a projected reserve balance reported at approximately $14.14 million before proposed transfers. Committee members discussed a planned transfer of $3.5 million to the general fund (a transfer proposed by county leadership in prior cycles) and noted the committee can adjust the transfer amount during final budget deliberations.

Next steps: More detailed bids, architectural estimates for the jail HVAC work and confirmation of contractor change‑order language will be brought back to the committee before any final transfers or spending approvals; the committee tentatively supported including the items in the 2026 budget materials but did not authorize expenditures at the Sept. 15 meeting.