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Consultant apologizes after filing multiple grant applications without prior commissioner sign‑off; commissioners review materials
Summary
A local consultant apologized for submitting multiple grant applications on behalf of county departments without earlier notice to the board. Applications (including a METAP Department of Commerce request for vehicle and equipment reimbursements) were presented; commissioners expressed concern about budget authority and agreed to review the submissions and consider a formal arrangement for grant work.
A local consultant addressed the Daniels County Commission during the public‑comment portion of the Oct. 21 meeting to apologize for submitting several grant applications on behalf of county departments without previously obtaining the commissioners’ direction.
The consultant said she had applied to a Department of Commerce METAP fund for police vehicles and fire department equipment and provided the board with copies of the applications. She described the METAP program as a first‑come, first‑served reimbursement program and quoted a Department of Commerce contact who told her that reimbursements can be issued within about 30 days after the county provides receipts.
Commissioners and department representatives raised two practical concerns: (1) the county’s procurement and budget rules require that purchases above specified thresholds be processed through the county administration and (2) the county lacks the matching cash or general‑fund cash outlay to front large reimbursements in some cases. One commissioner noted that vehicle and equipment purchases are funded under the recently passed public‑safety levy and that reimbursements must run through county finance processes to comply with audits.
The commission did not reject the submitted applications outright. Instead, they took the materials under advisement, instructed staff to review the grant documents and budget implications, and discussed a possible future engagement model in which the consultant could be formally adopted as a county grant‑writing resource (with expectations and communication protocols clarified).
Representative quotes: the consultant apologized directly to the board: "My sincerest apologies — I should have consulted you and come here first," and added she would not proceed with additional submissions without commissioners' direction.
Why it matters: Grant funding can accelerate purchases of vehicles, radios and other public‑safety equipment, but county purchasing, matching‑fund rules and audit trails require careful coordination. Commissioners signaled willingness to review completed applications while stressing that future grant work must follow county procurement and budget procedures.
