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County discusses $4.25 million furnishing plan for fifth floor; ARPA may cover portion, blinds cost $38,000
Summary
Board members reviewed a $4.25 million estimate to furnish a renovated fifth floor, debated whether ARPA funds can cover parts of the cost, and discussed timing to place orders so furniture arrives before occupancy. No final appropriation was taken; staff will refine eligible amounts and timing.
County officials and board members reviewed an estimated $4.25 million cost to furnish a renovated fifth floor and discussed funding sources, ARPA eligibility and project timing. The county project team said much of the existing furniture is about 30 years old and will not fit the newly designed space, and staff provided a $4.25 million estimate to procure new furnishings and window blinds.
Finance and ARPA advisers told the board that American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds can be used for furnishings only in limited circumstances: ARPA may cover furniture purchases for areas where existing seating or layout prevents social distancing or where the new design explicitly requires different furnishings to meet COVID-related spacing or public-health needs. Board members said blinds are not ARPA-eligible; staff identified the blinds cost as about $38,000.
Board members and project staff discussed timing: vendors estimate a 10-week lead time to deliver furniture after order, and the county's construction representative estimated the fifth floor could be ready for occupancy as early as January 2026 (the contractor's contract completion date was discussed as March 2026 but on-site progress could allow earlier occupancy). Staff and the contractor's representative agreed that ordering too late risks delivery delays; ordering too early may create storage challenges. Some vendors offer local warehousing for staged delivery.
Board members asked staff to do a financial analysis of potential ARPA-eligible amounts and to identify any change-order funds or contingency dollars remaining in the construction budget that could be applied before using general fund reserves. Staff reported that roughly $387,000 of the $4.25 million might be ARPA-eligible based on the initial review but said additional review was needed to determine exact eligibility and amounts. Board members also discussed whether county capital account funds being consolidated by the finance office could be used.
No appropriation was approved at the meeting. The board asked specific staff (finance, project management, and the county capital account liaison) to: verify what change-order contingency remains on the construction contract, calculate ARPA-eligible components of the $4.25 million estimate, confirm vendor pricing deadlines, and report back so the board can decide whether to partially fund blinds and/or furniture at a special meeting or at the next regular budget-board meeting.
Because the project will involve ordering goods, staff were asked to confirm lead times and storage options and to identify whether any portion of the cost can be covered by donations of used furniture. The board discussed a practical approach: fund blinds now if necessary and defer the furniture purchase until staff completes the ARPA eligibility and contingency review.
