Spencer County court approves elevator repair, opioid-funded nitrous-oxide program and applies for up to $1M park grant

Spencer County fiscal court approved multiple routine and programmatic items including an elevator repair authorization, an opioid-fund purchase of nitrous-oxide administration units for ambulance crews, acceptance of a radio grant and a decision to apply for a Community Development Block Grant for park expansion.

Elevator repair: County staff reported one bid at $6,840 to replace or repair an electronic starter; because the work exceeds the AOC bidding threshold, the judge said the county will seek the required additional bids. The court authorized up to $10,000 to repair the courthouse elevator so work can proceed and AOC’s portion can be billed. Dan moved the elevator authorization and Zach seconded; the motion passed.

Opioid-fund EMS program: The court approved using up to $30,000 from opioid-settlement funds to implement a nitrous-oxide pain-management program for ambulance crews. The package was described as seven administration units (about $4,000 each) plus refill packs, with an estimated total about $29,500. Dan commented, “that’s a really good idea,” while proponents said the program aims to reduce opioid administration and avoid reintroducing patients to opioids during EMS care. The court approved the expenditure by voice vote.

Contracts and licensing: The court approved a two-year interlocal ABC contract with the city to continue sharing an ABC position; Scott Heath briefed the court on the state’s new tobacco licensing regime (state licenses approximately $500 per location) and flagged enforcement considerations for local staff. The court accepted a private grant from the Gary Cise Foundation to acquire 15 portable radios valued at $16,297.65; J&N will supply the radios and the county will cover shipping.

Parks grant application: Members voted to apply through KIPA for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for park expansions, including a splash park and playground, for up to the maximum amount available (court noted the request could be up to $1 million). The proposer said a successful CDBG award could leverage other grants such as Land and Water Conservation funding.

What happens next: staff will solicit the required additional bids for the elevator repair, proceed with procurement steps for the nitrous-oxide units and document opioid-account spending, and submit a CDBG application through KIPA for park improvements. The court asked staff to return with final contract documents, procurement quotes and implementation timelines for each item.