Committee approves consent agenda items including DA evidence software, emergency grant, vehicle replacements and multiple technology purchases

The Management Internal Services Committee on March 11 approved a package of consent items that included software for the District Attorney's office, a federal grant application for emergency management, an appointment to the Board of Tax Assessors, vehicle replacements tied to storm damage, and multiple information-technology lifecycle purchases.

Key approvals at a glance:

- District Attorney evidence management software: Staff recommended and the committee approved purchase of Accent Justice (a cloud-based digital evidence management system) for the District Attorney’s office. The presenter's cost figure was $30,084.77 with an annual increase of 4 percent noted; the purchase was described as a recurring annual subscription to provide dedicated case-management and secure CJIS-separated storage.

- Emergency Management Performance Grant (FY2024): The committee approved submission of the county’s application to secure $37,216 in federal funding for Emergency Management Performance Grant activities and required staffing match costs. Committee discussion included a longer conversation about outstanding FEMA reimbursements tied to Hurricane Helene and multi-stage FEMA submissions; staff said larger packages seeking additional reimbursement (including a previously advanced $17 million) are still under review by FEMA and the State.

- Appointment to Board of Tax Assessors: The committee approved Vice Chair Malyer’s recommendation to appoint Trey Kennedy to fill a vacated seat on the Board of Tax Assessors, with the term expiring Dec. 31, 2026.

- Replacement vehicles: The committee approved replacement purchases for county vehicles declared totaled in Hurricane Helene and other incidents; staff said the county does not carry traditional vehicle insurance for such units (stop-loss applies to heavy equipment) and that FEMA reimbursement may apply for storm-related losses. The presenter described the outlay as approximately $816,000 to replace multiple vehicles; staff said reimbursement from FEMA could take months or longer.

- Technology purchases and infrastructure refreshes: The committee approved multiple technology lifecycle and infrastructure purchases presented by Mr. Blanchard and technology staff, including: a Cisco equipment lifecycle replacement for a county facility (approx. $233,264.94 funded by SPLOST), Cisco equipment for a new Building A (approx. $874,898.77), a lifecycle replacement at a county campus (approx. $231,579.17), an IT production environment refresh (approx. $232,741.64), and a WebEx telephony authorization described as generating substantial savings versus prior contracts (presenter identified an annual payment roughly $140,410 and said the new approach saved about $307,350 versus earlier costs).

Committee action and votes: Each item was moved and seconded and carried on the record; motions were placed on the committee consent agenda and forwarded to the full commission for action next Tuesday as part of the consent calendar. Presenters noted funding sources where applicable (SPLOST for certain Cisco purchases; FEMA and grant funds discussed for storm-related items).

Discussion highlights and caveats: Committee members asked about CJIS separation for the DA’s cloud storage, whether the public defender would request parallel access, timing of FEMA reimbursements, and insurance stop-loss limits. Technology staff explained the lifecycle replacement rationale, end-of-service/end-of-life distinctions and cybersecurity reasons for proactive replacement. Emergency management staff cautioned that FEMA and state review timelines vary and said some reimbursements could take months to more than a year.

Ending: The consent package advances to the full Board of Commissioners consent agenda for final action; specific financial recoveries (FEMA reimbursements) and any state-level actions remain contingent on external agencies and follow-up reporting by county staff.