Johnson County commissioners on Thursday authorized a three‑year, $201,136.50 service contract with Agilent Technologies Inc. to maintain and repair forensic laboratory instruments used for drug confirmation and toxicology testing. The Board of County Commissioners voted 6‑0 to approve the exception to the county's competitive purchasing rules that allows the county to contract directly with the equipment manufacturer.

County officials said the agreement covers seven instruments used across the controlled‑substances and toxicology disciplines and will be invoiced annually in three equal installments of $67,045.50. Deputy county staff said entering a multi‑year agreement locks in a lower cost than annual renewals and preserves OEM (original equipment manufacturer) warranties and access to proprietary parts and software.

The service contract was presented by Julien Kemp of the sheriff’s office. Kemp told commissioners that, “we purchase these pieces of instrumentation from Agilent Technologies and therefore we consider the manufacturer to be the best repair guide for this equipment,” and that Agilent has access to OEM parts and proprietary firmware third‑party vendors cannot provide. Kemp also said the three‑year option produces a small cost reduction compared with last year and avoids annual inflation increases.

Commissioners asked several procurement and operational questions before voting. Commissioner Allen Brand thanked staff for “continually being good stewards” and for the detailed briefing materials. Commissioner Ashcraft asked about life‑cycle planning for the equipment; Kemp replied the instruments are robust when maintained properly and can perform “more than 15 years” with proper care and that manufacturer service increases trade‑in value when replacement is required. Commissioner Burrow noted the county’s use of accrual accounting — which counts the total multi‑year commitment up front — as the reason the item exceeded the $150,000 threshold and therefore required Board approval.

The motion to authorize the exception was moved by Commissioner Myers and seconded by Commissioner Hanslick. Roll call recorded aye votes from Commissioners Myers, Brewer, Hanslick, Ashcraft, Allenbrand and Chairman Mike Kelly; the motion passed 6‑0. The agreement runs through August 2028 and will be invoiced annually.