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Riverton approves $15,000 master service agreement with Lexipol to support police technology grant applications
Summary
Council authorized a two‑year, $7,500 per year master service agreement with Lexipol LLC to help the Riverton Police Department pursue federal and state grants for a planned technology upgrade (body cameras, tasers, MDTs, cloud evidence storage and other items).
The Riverton City Council on July 15 authorized the city to enter a two‑year master service agreement with Lexipol LLC to support grant writing for the police department’s technology upgrade project.
The police chief described a multi‑part technology upgrade that would include replacement of body‑worn cameras and tasers, expanded cloud‑based evidence storage, additional in‑car mobile data terminals (MDTs), GPS tracking and potential deployment of a patrol drone. Because no single grant is expected to cover all elements, staff recommended outside grant assistance to improve competitiveness.
The chief told the council that “the cost of the grant assistance to Lexipol is 7,500 annually, for 2 years,” an expense already included in the department’s professional and consulting budget line. The contract package, as presented, includes a GrantFinder subscription, one grant writing submission per year, a dedicated program manager, bimonthly consulting sessions, application review and a 25% discount on additional writing services.
A department lieutenant who has worked on grants described the administrative burden and navigation challenges for federal programs. “Writing the narrative for a grant is not the difficult part. It's navigating the federal system,” the lieutenant said, noting federal grant portals and registration requirements often demand specialized familiarity and time. He added the department planned to use Lexipol’s expertise while building internal capacity over time.
Council members debated whether to hire an in‑house grant writer or invest in staff training, but several councilors supported contracting an experienced firm because it increases the probability of winning larger, complex federal awards. Councilman Mike Bailey said the city should “take advantage of the experts that have written probably hundreds or maybe more of these grants.”
The contract was approved by voice vote after discussion. City staff and police department leaders said Lexipol’s assistance would be one of several strategies — including state grants, local partnerships and philanthropic fundraising — to finance the department’s technology program.
