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Commissioners weigh placing EOC, jail and courthouse in RESTORE Act plan while debating broadband and trade school funding
Summary
Staff recommended putting shovel‑ready projects into Jefferson County's RESTORE Act SEP — an EOC expansion ($5.5M), jail hardening ($2.5M) and courthouse work ($1.5M) — and using remaining funds for broadband and a proposed trade school; the board directed staff to submit the amendment and back the superintendent's grant efforts with a joint letter to state Commerce.
County Manager Douglas Baber and the county attorney outlined staff recommendations for how to allocate Jefferson County’s RESTORE Act (Pot 3) funds and to prepare a state expenditure plan (SEP) amendment to include shovel‑ready projects.
"So, staff recommends the EOC at $5,500,000, The jail at $2,500,000 And the courthouse at $1,500,000," the manager said while recapping cost estimates and grant leverage options. He told commissioners that listing projects in the plan is a prerequisite to pulling down funds and that inclusion does not bind the county to immediate construction; it mainly enables future appropriations and grant matching.
The school superintendent urged support for a trade school package that could attract state CAP and workforce grants. "When you bundle them all together, it's a total of close to about $7,500,000 to create a trade school," the superintendent said, describing potential programs in welding, nursing, agriculture and digital technology.
Commissioners debated priorities — broadband, trade school, EOC and facility hardening — and discussed using existing county funds and appropriations to leverage state money. A motion was offered to include the staff‑recommended projects in the SEP, allocate remaining funds toward a trade school/broadband split and authorize a joint letter and email from the county manager and chair to Commerce to bolster the grant application. Staff said the SEP submission deadline occurs in the fall and that projects must be shown with budgets for planning purposes.
The discussion emphasized the county’s improved fiscal standing, the benefit of showing 'skin in the game' when seeking appropriations, and the need to keep shovel‑ready projects available to attract larger state or federal dollars.
