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Commissioners back Safe Streets grant application after discussion of radios and local match
Summary
County staff said the proposed U.S. DOT Safe Streets grant would fund demonstration activities, including interoperable radios for sheriff, police, road and bridge, and emergency management; commissioners approved submitting the application and discussed match funding and implications for other equipment budgets.
County grants staff presented an application for the U.S. Department of Transportation Safe Streets and Roads for All program, describing demonstration activities and a county safety action plan developed in partnership with the City of Laramie. The application request was discussed in the neighborhood of $1.0–1.26 million depending on final calculations.
Staff told commissioners the City of Laramie had approached the county and suggested radios as an eligible demonstration tied to the safety action plan. "This includes radios for the sheriff's office, LPD, road and bridge, and EMA," a staff member said, arguing those radios would help unify communications on a common band.
Commissioners and staff discussed whether that use was an eligible expense under the grant notice and noted that the county must provide matching funds. Staff said the city will cover its portion of the match and the county would put its match in the grant-match account in the next fiscal year. Commissioners asked how using grant funds for radios would affect other recurring grants that pay for radios; staff said those funds could be reallocated to other priorities such as volunteer fire agency radios or generators.
After those discussions the board voted by voice to approve submitting the Safe Streets grant application and directing staff to finalize the application details, including confirming match commitments and eligible demonstration activities.
Next steps include finalizing the application amount, documenting the proposed use of radios within the safety action plan, and confirming match sources before submission.
