Commission OKs surplus electronics disposal, staff to clarify donation process

Du Bois County commissioners voted July 21 to declare several older laptops, desktops and a cell phone surplus and discussed past practices and donation pathways for operable devices. Staff listed equipment taken out of active inventory — several Dell OptiPlex desktops, an HP ProBook and laptops removed as spares after the pandemic, plus a cell phone — and asked the board to declare them surplus for disposal. The motion passed by voice vote. Commission discussion focused on whether the county can continue donating operable devices to local nonprofits such as Crisis Connection and on data‑sanitization safeguards. Staff said the previous practice was to wipe and donate functioning devices but that the county recently changed the process; commissioners asked staff to coordinate with the health department and the clerk’s office to ensure devices are securely wiped prior to donation and to clarify current disposition procedures. County direction: the commission approved declaring the listed items surplus; staff will coordinate a secured wiping process and confirm whether operable devices can again be donated to local nonprofits and document any changes in county policy.