Finance and Infrastructure Committee 11/02/26

The Kent County Finance and Infrastructure Committee met on November 2, 2026. The committee received updates from the Downtown Market and Fiscal Services; the market described its business-incubation and community programs, with no procurement action identified. Fiscal Services reported 173 solicitations in FY26, averaging 5.5 responses, and discussed procurement and fleet initiatives, including a planned 12,000-gallon fuel tank at the north substation, expected to save roughly $10,000–$12,000 monthly through wholesale fuel purchases. The department also reported piloting a travel-management platform and moving requisition transactions into CGI; no vendor contract awards were reported.

The committee approved funding actions for the 300 Ottawa Avenue purchase and renovation: $18.5 million for the property purchase and $3.5 million to begin design and related work, both transferred from strategic capital funds. It also approved assigning project management to the Kent County Building Authority, which will manage design and future bid processes within county-set guidelines; the board retains approval authority over the overall project budget. Other approved items included a $133,279.93 FY27 Veterans Services grant, a $400,000 federal grant for the 17th Circuit Court Mental Health Court, and wage increases of 4% for 2027 and 3% for 2028 for approximately 277 Deputy Sheriff's Association members. The 300 Ottawa renovation drawings and plans will be subject to later competitive bids; no construction bids were approved at this meeting.