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Conservation director requests $42,000 for law-enforcement vehicle; board reviews parks and REAP items
Summary
Michelle, speaking for the conservation/parks department, asked the board to add $42,000 to secure and equip a patrol vehicle and proposed consolidating park utilities and maintenance lines; the board discussed possible grants and short-term funding options.
Michelle, the county conservation/parks presenter, asked supervisors to add $42,000 to her department budget to acquire and outfit a reliable law-enforcement vehicle for county parks.
Michelle described the department’s current fleet as older and unevenly equipped, saying several trucks have high mileage (one vehicle cited at 269,000 miles) and that she needs a dependable vehicle because she is on call for park incidents and enforcement duties. She told the board she has identified a 2023 service truck available in Red Oak for about $37,000 and requested the additional appropriation to cover outfitting costs (lights, siren, wiring and eventual in-car computer/radar). "I'm on call 24/7/365," Michelle said, explaining why a dependable vehicle matters for patrol response.
Michelle also proposed consolidating park utility line items (electricity and water) into single county-wide lines rather than separate park-by-park entries; she said this would simplify budgeting without losing internal accounting of each park’s usage. She moved maintenance-equipment and construction items into a single “operation and construction” line to allow flexibility across parks for shelter materials, signage, repairs and small construction projects. She reported plans to repair or replace a failing pit toilet at Nottoway Valley Park and estimated the building cost at roughly $26,000 for a winter-capable facility.
On funding, Michelle said she is pursuing grants (including the Clarinda Foundation and other small sources) but that grant timelines make immediate purchases uncertain. The board discussed short-term options: use an existing motor-vehicle line item balance (about $5,000) and coordinate with the sheriff’s office about available surplus equipment or lights to reduce outfitting cost; supervisors suggested staff check vehicle availability and report back promptly if a purchase can be made and later reconciled in budget amendments.
Michelle also reviewed the county’s REAP (Resource Enhancement and Protection) funds, explaining they are reserved for conservation equipment and projects; she left REAP amounts unchanged but described the fund as a multi-year reserve she is saving toward a skid-steer loader. She said several park-line increases shown in her draft are a consolidation of smaller lines rather than net new program requests.
The board asked staff to provide a more detailed, itemized quote for the vehicle and outfitting and to check with the sheriff’s office about available surplus equipment or help with installation so the conservation department can act quickly if a suitable vehicle is still available.
