Probation chief seeks ARPA funds for laptops; board asks to include request in upcoming budget

Mark Comacher, District 9 chief probation officer, asked the Hall County Board for ARPA funding to purchase 34 Surface Pro laptops, docks and monitors at an estimated cost of about $74,700 to support field work, snow‑day remote operations and on‑call officers.

Comacher told commissioners staff frequently rely on personal devices during weather events and that additional county laptops would help maintain community supervision and enable tele‑meetings. He said some line items in the procurement estimate (stylus pens, speakers) could be removed to reduce cost, and he proposed using ARPA for an immediate head start while budgeting five replacements per year in future IT schedules.

Commissioners sought clarification on whether the purchase should be placed in the ARPA program package or incorporated into the IT replacement budget and emphasized tracking and rotation planning. No appropriation was approved at the meeting; commissioners asked Comacher to coordinate with the county IT director and county budget staff so the request can be included in the formal budget submission for further consideration.