Teton County commissioners debate Sheriff's Foundation grant terms; motion offered to require 90-day termination notice

The Teton County Board of County Commissioners spent the first portion of its Jan. 14 special meeting discussing a proposed grant agreement with the Teton County Sheriff's Foundation to fund sheriff's office hires and related equipment.

The foundation representative (Speaker 5) told the board the foundation intends to cover training and most equipment needs and that a follow-up grant or proposal likely would address vehicle purchases. Speaker 3, summarizing prior concerns, said the revised contract proposed a one-year term with up to two renewals but noted the foundation had suggested monthly payments; an alternate draft in the packet used 120-day payments. Speaker 3 warned the combination of monthly payments and a 30-day termination clause creates an appearance of month-to-month uncertainty that could complicate hiring and retention decisions.

Commissioners pressed for clarity about who would hire and fire employees funded through the agreement and what would happen to payroll, vehicles and insurance if either party terminated the contract. Speaker 2 raised operational examples—who would pay deductibles or lease obligations if a sheriff's car were damaged—and said the proposal represented "about 50% of the agreement" and therefore left open important questions about the remainder of costs.

After extended discussion about billing frequency and the effective notice period for termination, Speaker 7 moved to approve the grant agreement "with the change of the termination clause that the termination shall be with 90 days written notice and that in the event of termination both parties shall be liable for the performance"; Speaker 1 seconded. Speaker 2 read back the motion to confirm the wording: approval of the grant agreement "with the change on the termination clause that the termination shall be 90 days written notice and both parties shall be liable for the terms of the contract." The transcript contains the motion and the readback but does not include a recorded roll-call or final vote on that motion.

Several board members said the parties had roughly three months before recruitment and background checks could mature into hires, underscoring the practical need to settle billing and termination language quickly. The foundation representative said procurement for vehicles may come in a later grant award and that some flexibility in procurement is an advantage for a non-governmental foundation.

Next steps identified in the discussion included finalizing contract language that specifies mutual performance obligations during the notice period and returning with clearer procurement/insurance details before any large-dollar purchases are committed. The meeting then moved on to the next agenda item without a recorded vote on the grant motion.

The discussion left several practical questions open in the transcript: how vehicle leases and deductibles will be handled, the precise billing cadence to be reflected in the executed agreement, and whether the board will take a recorded vote on the motion at a subsequent meeting.