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Louisa County approves $35,833.75 sheriff app paid from opioid-settlement funds
Summary
After a vendor demo, the board approved using opioid-settlement funds for a one-time, 7-year upfront payment of $35,833.75 to purchase a sheriff's office mobile app; add-on integrations (offender/inmate features) are expected to be covered by forfeiture and commissary funds.
The Louisa County Board of Supervisors approved using opioid-settlement funds to pay for development of a sheriff's office mobile app, voting to authorize a one-time upfront payment that covers seven years of service.
Chase Watkins, regional director for the app vendor, demonstrated features aimed at public safety and communications: push notifications to reach residents directly, anonymous tip submission with optional photo attachment, inmate-search integration with jail-management systems and VINE victim-notification integration, offender-registry mapping, National Weather Service alerts and customizable local resource links. He said the sheriff's office would control the app's back-end content panel and the vendor provides marketing support.
Watkins pointed to Muscatine County as a case study: with about 43,000 residents, Muscatine had roughly 17,880 downloads and reported about 424,000 interactions per week, which Watkins used to illustrate potential reach if Louisa County markets the app.
On contract terms and cost, Watkins said the sheriff requested a seven-year contract paid up front to lock in pricing; the vendor listed the one-time cost as $35,883.75 (transcript reads $35,883.75) and estimated annual maintenance starting in year 8 at about $4,270. Board members confirmed the county intends to use opioid-settlement money for the upfront payment and to use commissary and forfeiture funds for some add-on integrations (offender/inmate features). One board member summarized the funding plan: the onetime app purchase would be covered from opioid funds and certain add-ons would be paid with forfeiture/commissary funds.
The board moved to approve the use of opioid funds for the mobile app purchase; the motion passed by voice vote (ayes recorded). The item was presented as a multiyear contract with an upfront payment of $35,833.75 in the agenda materials and the board accepted the funding plan.
Next steps: county staff will finalize contracting and payment arrangements with the vendor. The board discussed but did not change the contract length; vendors'sized add-ons and integrations will be funded as discussed.
Sources: Vendor presentation by Chase Watkins and subsequent board discussion and approval during the Louisa County Board of Supervisors meeting.
