Committee approves $90,000 annual contract with Delta Development for grant work

The Planning and Economic Development Committee approved a contract renewal with Delta Development for comprehensive public‑funding strategy services at $90,000 per year.

Tim (staff member) told the committee Delta Development has worked with the county for roughly three to four years and provides technical assistance on state and federal grant applications. He said the firm’s assistance has contributed to successful grant awards, including federal money tied to the fairgrounds project. The county will move funding from contingency or fund balance to cover the contract because it was not included in the 2025 budget; staff called the omission an oversight.

Committee members asked about incidental costs; staff said travel or face‑to‑face meeting expenses would be billed if they occur but no substantial additional expenses had been incurred to date. Tim said Delta’s work has helped secure federal allocations (he cited a $428,000 federal allocation for the fairgrounds) and support applications for IIJA, THUD and other grants. The county noted additional potential awards in the pipeline and described Delta’s services as providing multi‑staff technical assistance.

A motion to move the contract renewal forward carried after a voice vote. The contract renewal was described as $90,000 annually, with funds to be reallocated from contingency and tracked in the county’s MOE.