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Finance Committee advances appropriations and STEP grant procurement; PO for child car seats approved to meet Feb. 28 deadline
Summary
The committee bundled appropriations (recorder restoration, coroner vehicle replacement, transfer-switch procurement) to send to Quorum Court and approved moving forward on the FY26 STEP grant for the sheriff's office, including cutting a PO for child car seats that must be purchased by Feb. 28.
The Benton County Finance Committee consolidated several appropriation items and advanced them to Quorum Court, and it authorized prompt procurement actions tied to a FY26 STEP grant for the sheriff's office.
Appropriations discussed and advanced together included: additional restoration services for the circuit clerk/recorder (staff said roughly $125,000 would be needed to complete two additional bound volumes), replacement of a coroner vehicle after a 2017 truck was totaled (insurance proceeds of $15,296.50 had been received and staff estimated an additional ~$35,000 would be required), and procurement to obtain a transfer switch and installation labor for the Bogle Building (a quote of roughly $55,000 was cited). Committee members approved grouping the appropriations for publication savings and then voted to send the package to Quorum Court.
On the FY26 STEP grant, staff reported a total award figure of $10,232,250 and described funding components: $97,800 federal, $10,000 state and a $24,450 local match. Staff asked for permission to cut a purchase order immediately to buy child car seats covered by the grant because the seats must be purchased by Feb. 28; the committee agreed and directed staff to proceed so the PO could be issued and items received before the deadline.
Procurement notes: staff said the transfer-switch purchase will use a cooperative purchase (coop) rather than a formal bid because the amount exceeds local informal-bid thresholds. For the coroner vehicle, staff said insurance proceeds will offset part of the cost and the remainder will be appropriated from general-fund balances.
What happens next: The consolidated appropriations package and the STEP grant ordinance will be taken to Quorum Court for final approval; staff will proceed with the PO for the car seats to meet the grant deadline and begin cooperative procurement for the transfer switch.
