Committee reviews deferred capital projects after jail bond payoff; generator grant and vehicle replacement discussed

Staff reviewed capital items that had been deferred while the jail bond remained outstanding and said freeing that debt service produced a pool of available funds to address backlog projects. Staff listed $367,300 as deferred funding for several projects plus $150,000 previously deferred for accrued leave, and said the jail‑bond payoff produced roughly $633,750 of available space to offset operating needs.

On the generator project, staff said the county had received approval but a site visit and pre‑work remained; the grant requires a 25% match and staff suggested that committing $10,000 in the FY27 budget would meet that match when combined with reserves. On cooling‑tower replacement, staff cited vendor quotes and used a mid‑range estimate of about $88,000 and noted an existing reserve balance of roughly $43,000 that could be applied.

Committee debated treatment of recurring equipment costs (tasers, body and cruiser cameras, sheriff laptops) as capital versus operating. Staff said taser replacement is annual under contract and has multiyear useful life; members suggested moving recurring contract replacements to operating for clarity while maintaining capital for longer‑lived investments. Vehicle‑replacement cycles were discussed; staff said Joel typically aims to replace three cruisers per year but this year the plan includes funding for fewer units. For EMA capital, staff said the FY27 request included a capital transfer of about $83,050: approximately $63,050 for two vehicles, $14,000 for an ATS speed/message board, and $6,000 for a drone.

The committee asked staff for vendor quotes, reserve schedules, and a clearer capital/operating classification for recurring contracted replacements before finalizing allocations.