County staff propose $161,000 in unspent indirect-cost funds for courthouse wayfinding and language-access kiosks
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Summary
Spokane County staff reported a $161,076 unspent indirect-cost allocation and proposed spending it on interactive wayfinding, multilingual kiosks across county buildings, and a systems evaluation to improve customer service and reduce wait times.
County staff told commissioners Dec. 15 that a 10% indirect-cost allocation from an earlier grant (MacArthur-related) yielded $161,076 in unspent funds that could be applied to courthouse wayfinding, multilingual kiosks, and a systems evaluation of justice software.
Pat Veil, who described the wayfinding scope, said the proposal focuses on four campus buildings and would combine wall-mounted interactive displays and a simple app-like interface that supports multiple languages. "The overall goal is to improve customer satisfaction and reduce confusion and also wait times," Veil said.
Staff outlined ballpark costs: a systems evaluation by an outside consultant was estimated at about $75,000; interactive displays were estimated at roughly $6,000—10,000 per unit and software subscription costs near $1,000 per month; configuration and data-integration costs remain the primary unknown.
County managers said the kiosks would connect building endpoints so visitors could follow directions across the courthouse, Public Safety Building and Public Works; the project would leverage court navigator staff already piloting customer-assistance functions.
Next steps: staff said they will confirm MacArthur fund permissibility with the funder and return with a formal recommendation and procurement timeline. If the board agrees conceptually, procurement and implementation planning will proceed in January.