Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Equipment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee recommends Board accept FEMA grant to buy underwater remote‑operated vehicle
Summary
The Budget and Finance Committee recommended the Board accept and expand a $298,000 FEMA grant to purchase an underwater remote‑operated vehicle for the Police Department; total project cost including a 25% match and optional one‑year support plan is roughly $398,000.
The Police Department sought committee approval to retroactively accept and expend a $298,000 grant from the Department of Homeland Security/FEMA to purchase an underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) for the Marine Unit.
Andy Mullen, legislative aide to a supervisor, introduced the item and said the ROV would replace a 12‑year‑old system and provide improved capability for underwater searches, evidence recovery and infrastructure sweeps without deploying human divers. Patrick Leung, the department CFO, explained the grant requires a 25% match; the total project budget is about $398,000, which includes an optional $25,000 one‑year support plan the department could choose to fund later.
Supervisors pressed staff on why the item is retroactive; staff said the grant award's start date is 09/01/2019 and that approval timelines and internal accept‑and‑expend procedures created the retroactive presentation even though they had not begun grant activities. Staff said the Police Department will absorb future maintenance costs if it elects to continue support after the optional year.
The committee moved the item to the full Board with a positive recommendation.
Provenance: item introduced at SEG 1200 and discussed through SEG 1428.
