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Riley County reviews CIP: ambulance equipment, furniture requests, playground repairs and aging jail generator
Summary
At a CIP work session, the county finance officer presented cash balances and project requests; commissioners questioned a high furniture quote, directed $25,000 be used to replace an unsafe playground piece (while maintaining a $75,000 standing request), and heard that oil tests on the jail generator showed evidence of bearing wear, prompting an estimated $350,000 replacement planning figure and a recommendation to consider ordering ahead to avoid outages.
Britney Phillips, Riley County budget and finance officer (speaker 16), opened the first CIP work session for 2026 with a summary of beginning cash, reserves, project expenditures and remaining budget authority. Phillips said updated EMS equipment estimates (Stryker power cots) raised the EMS line to $419,627 and that the remaining 2026 budget authority as of February was about $14.2 million.
Commissioners questioned an apparent $600-per-chair quote for replacing office and lobby furniture; staff said the quote included upholstered models and that the full furniture package could total roughly $25,000–$30,000 and about $25,000–$30,000 for all furniture in scope. Commissioners asked staff to seek alternate bids and to consider reusing serviceable chairs from other offices.
On playground funding, staff proposed a standing CIP request of $75,000 to build toward a larger replacement; commissioners agreed to allow $25,000 of that to be used immediately to replace a single playground piece that had become unsafe (installed price ~ $25,000), while keeping the larger standing request intact.
Facility staff raised a major concern about the law-enforcement center generator after routine oil and coolant analysis showed metal in the oil, indicating possible bearing wear. Staff reported roughly $13,000 in short-term repairs to restore confidence but said a full replacement could be on the order of $350,000 (quote work in progress) and that lead times for a new generator could be several months. Staff recommended the board consider budgeting or ordering to avoid a prolonged outage that could require relocating inmates and interrupt critical services.
Seaco dog park and related park maintenance were also discussed; staff described a vendor quote to install a ~12-by-15 shelter and picnic bench and noted irrigation and heavy use concerns; commissioners asked staff to return with more detailed proposals.
Why this matters: The CIP review set priorities for capital spending, flagged a near-term safety replacement for playground equipment, raised procurement questions about furniture costs, and identified the jail generator as a high-priority capital risk with significant potential costs and operational consequences.
Next steps: Staff will seek additional furniture bids, advance the playground replacement funding, continue generator quotation and lead-time analysis, and return with updated CIP numbers at a future meeting.
