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Committee approves grant applications for ambulance purchase, SRO funding and a SAMHSA recovery grant application
Summary
The committee approved an ambulance purchase contract through a state grant, authorized multiple sheriff grant applications including a $3,975,000 SRO request, and granted permission to apply for a four‑year SAMHSA recovery grant with Hustle Recovery as a proposed subrecipient.
The Rutherford County Budget, Finance and Investment Committee on July 9 approved several grant actions including a procurement authorized under a state health grant, multiple sheriff office grant applications, and permission to apply for a federal SAMHSA recovery grant.
Brian Gaither presented a contract for up to $305,461 to purchase an ambulance and loading system through a state health‑administered grant; there is no local match and the procurement will be handled by the state. The committee approved the mayor signing the contract if required.
Deputy Chief Steve Spence requested permission to apply for three grants: the FY '26 State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) reimbursement (no match), the Tennessee Violent Crime Intervention Fund (no match), and a School Resource Officer grant administered by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. Spence said the SRO application would seek $3,975,000 to cover 53 schools at $75,000 per school and that the grant would substitute part of SRO salaries; the committee approved the requests to apply and added acceptance language for no‑match awards where appropriate.
Later the committee voted to authorize staff to apply for a competitive SAMHSA grant (up to $3,000,000 per year for four years) aimed at recovery services. County staff explained Rutherford County would serve as the grantee and would likely use a subrecipient to deliver the direct services; Hustle Recovery (Hussle/Hustle in the transcript) was presented as the primary partner and described by speakers as experienced in respite housing, outreach and recovery supports. Staff emphasized that the county lacks the in‑house capacity to deliver the program services and would require subrecipient monitoring and a signed agreement before funds are passed through. The committee voted to apply and directed staff to return with proposed subrecipient agreements and monitoring/audit language if the county is awarded the grant.
No match or local‑dollar commitments were authorized tonight beyond the administrative and monitoring responsibilities required of the grantee; all three sheriff grant applications and the SAMHSA application were approved as requests to apply, with final acceptance and subrecipient agreements to return to the commission if awarded.
The items were approved by voice votes or roll calls as recorded in the meeting minutes; committee members asked staff to be prepared with monitoring, indirect cost, and fiscal‑note details should a SAMHSA award be made.
