Commissioners move to tighten contract renewals, cut recurring IT payments and centralize contract records

The Bonner County Board of County Commissioners voted to change how the county handles contract renewals and recurring vendor payments after a multiweek review prompted by an expensive software renewal and several recurring payments that lacked signed contracts.

Jacob Storms, Bonner County technology staff, told commissioners the county had been facing a high-cost Adobe Acrobat renewal; technology found it could retain needed features for critical offices (prosecutor and sheriff) via Adobe while shifting many users to a lower-cost product (Foxit), reducing the county's overall cost. "Foxit will cost us about $9,400 and then there'll be $5,000 for the Adobe, so we will have a cost savings with that shift," Storms said.

The board approved a motion requiring departments to submit contract renewals to the board at least 90 days before expiration so the county can review alternatives and legal terms before automatic renewals take effect. Commissioners and staff said the change is aimed at improving internal controls and preventing unexpected budget hits from automatic renewals that were not reviewed in budget cycles.

Commissioners also addressed a $5,000-per-month payment to an outside IT consultant identified in meeting documents as Mr. Kirtley (also referenced with IDS). The board moved to discontinue those continuous monthly payments, concluding the services were valuable in the past but that the county did not need an open-ended monthly retainer without a signed contract. Finance staff said the payments dated back to February 2022 and totaled roughly $65,000 per year; auditing and legal had reviewed the recommendation.

The board adopted a related policy requiring that all approved contracts, agreements, and licenses be stored in the originating department, attached to the vendor in the Auditor's Office financial reporting system, and copied to the Board of County Commissioners and Risk Management. Commissioners said contracts should be reviewed and updated during the annual budget process so recurring obligations are visible and budgeted line by line.

Commissioners framed the package of changes as internal-control improvements to reduce waste and make procurements more transparent. "If we bring it forward before we renew it, we can catch it," a commissioner said during debate, referring to the Adobe example.

The board requested that departments identify auto-renewals and present those renewals for review within the 90-day window; staff said some multi-year vendor terms (needed for best pricing) will continue, but the county will bring renewals or renew-by-exception items to the board prior to automatic renewal.