Prisons seek vehicles, replacement items and snow‑removal plan; governor prefers contracting

The Department of Correction presented a list of one‑time replacement items and ongoing operations requests for its state prisons division, including vehicles, resident supplies and equipment across facilities.

Replacement inventory and capital: Analyst Noah Peterson told the committee the agency requested $5,712,400 one‑time for replacement items that include 21 vehicles, radios, kitchen equipment, lockers and resident clothing. He also noted a $4,900 request for monitors and equipment at the South Boise Women’s Correctional Center and other facility‑level capital needs spelled out in the agency workbook.

Skid‑steer / snow removal: The agency requested an $83,200 ongoing appropriation for a skid‑steer at the St. Anthony work camp to perform seasonal snow removal; the agency said the machine would have an estimated useful life of 8–10 years. The governor recommended an alternative — $30,000 ongoing to contract snow removal — to avoid buying a large seasonal machine the state would need to maintain.

Why the recommendation changed: The Division of Financial Management told lawmakers it reviewed the proposal and recommended contracting with a vendor for winter snow removal instead of purchasing and storing heavy equipment at a single facility; DFM said the recurring smaller contract better fits a seasonal need.

Taper: Agency leaders said they will refine the snow‑removal approach and evaluate the most efficient option to ensure transport and access needs at the work camp are met without unnecessarily purchasing specialized equipment.