Staff outlines Safe Streets for All grant timeline, procurement needs and potential indirect-cost recovery

County staff provided a detailed update on the Safe Streets for All grant at the Feb. 27 meeting, describing the onboarding process, procurement expectations and next steps for a grant agreement.

The staff presenter said federal grantee onboarding includes recorded boot-camp sessions and coaching resources; staff have attended trainings and plan to continue work on the grant agreement with state and federal reviewers. The presenter said the county has 12 months under the grant terms to sign a grant agreement with federal partners but recommended seeking an extended 36-month window to allow time for competitive procurement, noting the anticipated engineering contract will exceed the $350,000 threshold that triggers more formal competitive requirements.

The presenter told commissioners that, if the county does not expend the full grant amount through contracts, it may be able to recover indirect costs — roughly 15% of the total grant amount, according to the staff update. "About 15% of the total grant cost we can recover indirect costs," the presenter said.

To manage the grant, staff recommended forming a small, standing committee that would include a commission designee, Brian, a clerk's office representative and road and bridge staff so those with programmatic or payment responsibilities can meet and coordinate procurement and timeline issues. Staff also reported plans to send a draft grant agreement to the county's engineer and to seek guidance from the state federal highway grant manager.

The update included procedural cautions: procurement for the engineer should be competitive because the contract will likely exceed federal thresholds; state Office of Management and Budget review of the agreement could add several weeks to the timeline; and staff will return drafts to the commission for review. Commissioners asked questions and agreed to form the recommended oversight group.

Staff also said they will attend an upcoming community development block grant event to explore possible funding for a year-round community pool and will pursue FEMA and other federal funding opportunities for local projects.