Woods County commissioners approve sheriff DUI device purchase, internet service and routine fund transfers; two fire department brush-truck bids left inactive

Woods County commissioners approved a set of routine purchases, a service-level internet agreement and a grant reimbursement transfer during their April 21, 2025 meeting, while choosing to take no action on two brush-truck bids for local volunteer fire departments.

The board voted to approve the minutes from the April 14, 2025 meeting by voice vote. It then voted on a series of agenda items, including purchases and transfers described below.

Key outcomes

- Approval of sheriff's equipment: The board approved $1,245 to purchase three Alco-Sensor FST devices for the sheriff's office. The devices were described as handheld roadside alcohol screening instruments used in DUI investigations. The motion passed by voice vote.

- Internet service agreement: Commissioners approved a service-level agreement with Pioneer for 250 megabits per second of county internet service at $730.98 per month. A staff speaker noted the county's option for a 1 gigabit level but said that would raise monthly costs by about $4,400; the 250 Mbps option was described as sufficient for current needs and $20 less per month than the county's existing bill.

- Transfer of grant funds: The board approved transferring $9,700 from a security grant account to the county general fund for reimbursement to the county, to be replenished when grant reimbursement is received.

- Approve and distribute blank purchase orders: The board approved routine distribution of blank purchase documents.

- Brush-truck bids: On bid number 24-25-09 (White Oak Fire Department) and bid number 24-25-10 (Greenleaf), the board voted to take no action. Commissioners said they would not proceed with award at this time.

Other formal business included routine motions to adjourn and other procedural votes.

Why it matters

The purchases and agreements approved on April 21 are administrative but affect county operations: equipment for the sheriff supports roadside DUI screening; the internet agreement sets a recurring monthly cost and service capacity for county offices; and the grant-transfer ensures short-term cash flow for previously authorized security spending. The decision to leave two volunteer fire department brush-truck bids inactive means those departments will not receive county-funded apparatus awards at this time.

What the board said

A staff speaker described the Pioneer internet option as a step down from a 1 gigabit alternative that would have increased costs substantially; the 250 Mbps option was described as adequate and modestly cheaper than current service.

Next steps

Approved purchases and the internet agreement will be implemented through county procurement and billing procedures. The two brush-truck bids remain unawarded; commissioners did not schedule a follow-up on the record.