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County sheriff seeks transfers to renovate aging indoor firing range, outfit patrol cars
Summary
The County Sheriff asked the council to approve transfers between line items to begin renovations on the indoor firing range (built 1975) and to outfit patrol cars; staff said the project has been under study for years and that non‑reverting and asset‑seizure funds will be used for portions of the work. No firm construction timetable was provided.
The County Sheriff asked the council to approve a series of line‑item transfers to begin a long‑planned renovation of the county’s indoor firing range and to move funds to outfit patrol vehicles.
The Sheriff said the range, built in the mid‑1970s, is “about 35, 40 years old, so it is due a complete remodel,” and noted it is the only indoor range in the county used by police, corrections staff and the courts. He told the council he plans to move roughly $30,000 from equipment to a new building and structures line for initial design work and cited additional proposed transfers (including about $55,000 into building and structures and $10,000 for helicopter repair/maintenance) to cover related scope items and outfitting costs.
Why it matters: County staff said the indoor range serves multiple agencies and that modern ventilation, lead‑abatement and infrastructure work are needed for safety and training. The Sheriff emphasized the project team has worked on plans for two years and is coordinating with the county and town to meet facility requirements.
Details and funding: The Sheriff said the county previously budgeted roughly $800,000 into related funds and that the overall project cost estimates vary; staff said preliminary totals were in a range that could be as high as about $1.9 million depending on scope and that additional appropriations from non‑reverting cash will be requested in a follow‑up meeting. The Sheriff said asset‑seizure funds will be used for parts of the project and that the department does not plan to request net new county general‑fund appropriations for the immediate transfers under consideration.
Quotes and next steps: “We found the monies and those monies are to be used for these purposes,” the Sheriff told the council, adding officials are “prepared for it” and are in the architect and drawing phase. Council members asked about a timeline; staff said they are still in design and could not give a firm completion date. The Sheriff also noted the indoor and outdoor range projects are separate and that additional appropriation requests may follow as design and estimates are finalized.
No formal vote is recorded in the transcript excerpt; the matter was presented for council consideration with a promise of more detailed spreadsheets and a subsequent appropriation request when costs are finalized.
