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Fremont County commissioners ask staff to tighten rules for department IT and ad-hoc purchases
Summary
Commissioners discussed repeated incidents of departments buying their own hardware (printers, small IT devices) without consulting IT. They directed staff to draft clearer procurement guidance that requires IT consultation for equipment purchases and clarifies voucher procedures for items under $10,000.
Commissioners said they want clearer county rules after several departments bought printers and other hardware without coordinating with IT, leaving county systems incompatible and causing repair disputes.
"Some things I thought they went through IT… I'm not going to approve that one because it was not something they talked to IT about," a commissioner said, describing a recent repair bill and urging a policy that requires staff to contact IT before buying equipment. County staff and commissioners noted the existing procurement policy allows officials to approve purchases under $10,000 but still requires vouchering and asset tracking.
County staff agreed to draft a short policy that would require departments to request IT assistance before purchasing items that affect shared systems, and to define the voucher and property-tagging steps for such purchases. One commissioner suggested the policy include a simple stepwise process (identify issue, route to responsible department, issue notice and timeline, escalate to commission if unresolved) so enforcement is not ad hoc.
The commission did not adopt new language at the meeting; it directed staff to prepare a draft for future action and to work with IT, public health and road departments to ensure enforcement pathways are clear.
