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Budget committee backs sending police, fire car-seat grant to full council
Summary
The committee voted to send authorization for police and fire to accept and distribute 50 car seats through a FY26 child passenger safety grant to the full Lawrence City Council with a favorable recommendation; distribution will be by appointment or referral and cannot be publicly posted, presenters said.
The Lawrence City Budget & Finance Committee on July 28 voted to send authorization for the police and fire departments to accept and distribute car seats awarded through the FY26 Child Passenger Safety Education Assistance Program to the full council with a favorable recommendation.
Rosa Shepherd, director of support services at the Lawrence Police Department, told the committee the award is administered through the state Office of Grant Research and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “We were both approved for, to be able to distribute the car seats,” Shepherd said, adding distribution will be by appointment or referral rather than a public giveaway.
Fire Chief Delaney described coordination between departments and estimated the combined total at about 50 car seats. “This is a great partnership we’re gonna do with the police department for the community,” Delaney said. Shepherd explained the process: nonprofit partners refer families, an appointment is scheduled with a certified technician, the technician installs the seat, and the city files a state form listing the recipient, the child’s weight and the seat type.
Vice Chair Councilor Vivian Marmol asked whether recipients must meet any financial eligibility; Shepherd said there are no specific income criteria in the program’s current form, only that the recipient have a child who needs a seat. Councilors asked for statistics on previous impact; Delaney said departments have encountered crashes where children were not restrained and that hospital-issued seats are limited.
The motion to send the item to the full council was made on the floor and seconded and then approved by roll call. With the council president absent, the recorded yes votes carried the motion.
