Corrections & Institutions panel agrees on $3M Wi‑Fi allocation, retains $26K bond earmark and sets placeholder for women’s correctional facility

At a Corrections & Institutions working session Thursday, members converged on a plan to allocate $3,000,000 for a Wi‑Fi project and instructed staff to finalize accompanying language and reporting requirements.

The Chair said John is drafting language to reconcile a prior letter and a recent memo from ADS so the allocation would cover planning, coordination with DOC, installation and subsequent reporting. "John is working on our next draft," the Chair said, adding that the office will send a follow‑up letter after the item moves forward.

Presenter described two federal broadband grant types administered through the broadband board—"deployable" grants for bringing fiber to properties and "nondeployable" grants for services and work inside properties once fiber exists—and said this project would fall under the nondeployable category. "The prognosis for any sort of match funds or support from broadband board right now is pretty slim," the Presenter said, noting there is no predictable timetable for the federal BED grants to be released.

Participants said the group would keep a previously earmarked $26,000 rather than reallocating it to another item and discussed bond balances and cash on hand. "We've agreed that we keep the 26,000," the Chair said. Committee members also discussed adding $513,413 to major maintenance and leaving a placeholder cash provision for a women’s correctional facility without assigning a dollar figure immediately.

Committee members debated reducing the request to an even $3,000,000 (from a prior $3.3 million figure) to simplify tracking. One Committee member described the $3,000,000 ask as a strategic move intended to "force the hand of someone else" given long lead times for the work, and participants cautioned against rushing the final language.

On the juvenile center provision, staff confirmed the relevant language appears in the Appropriations field and that the staff member handling appropriations has it. The group agreed to pause briefly for staff (John) to join, finish the language and money reconciliation, and reconvene the next morning to finalize the item for onward processing.

No formal recorded roll‑call vote appears in the transcript; the agreement recorded is an informal consensus among participants and staff were directed to complete draft language and send a follow‑up letter.