County administrator outlines CIP, CARES funds and two capital projects including TriTech jail system

During the April 12 meeting the county administrator provided an overview of capital-improvement funding and COVID-related federal relief funds that will support county projects this year.

The administrator told the board that commissioners previously approved $4,400,000 in CIP funds in the 2021 budget and that staff will bring individual projects forward for approval on a project-by-project basis. He said CARES funds previously transferred into a CARES account totalled about $6,500,000 and that staff will also use CDBG-COVID and American Rescue Plan Act money as those resources become available.

Staff identified two capital items on the agenda for consideration: upgrades to the jail’s management system with vendor TriTech, and an amendment to juvenile courts to accept a grant to replace boilers in the juvenile detention and rehabilitation centers. The administrator stated the boiler replacement total cost is $137,000 and that the general fund would be reimbursed at a rate noted in the record as 0.667 ("a little over a $100,000" net to the general fund, as read by staff).

Commissioners were told projects will only move to agenda once a majority favors proceeding and that staff will keep the board informed about the expense of allocations approved for 2021.