County emergency management staff briefed commissioners on a grant-funded generator intended to support joint dispatch operations. Staff said the grant application and award were prepared on behalf of the Joint Powers Board, and the generator will be placed and connected at the dispatch facility.

Staff explained the policy framework: equipment bought through the grant on behalf of another agency becomes that agency’s inventory. The county’s role in that arrangement is administrative (preparing the grant), and if the Joint Powers Board dissolves the equipment would revert to the county or follow the terms of the applicable grant/regulatory guidance. Staff said they will provide a letter documenting transfer of the asset and will continue to track the item on county inventory records unless otherwise instructed.

Commissioners discussed whether a memorandum of understanding (MOU) is necessary to allow other entities — for example, the city — to tap the generator and whether fuel and maintenance costs should be expressly apportioned. County staff said the Joint Powers Board will be responsible for the cage, platform, installation, ongoing maintenance and fuel; if other agencies (such as the city) later tap the generator, any billing for fuel or usage would be at the Joint Powers Board’s discretion. Several commissioners suggested that any MOU, if required, should be with the Joint Powers Board rather than the city, because the grant and equipment are tied to the Joint Powers Board.

Staff also explained that reimbursement claims for larger generator installations may be delayed while FEMA (or related federal programs) completes review tasks such as cultural-resource or ground-disturbance reviews; the board heard the county has outstanding homeland-security reimbursements under review.

Commissioners asked staff to document the transfer in writing (a letter of gift/assignment to the Joint Powers Board) and to clarify whether the Joint Powers Board will adopt written procedures for fuel usage and maintenance billing if the generator is made available to other agencies.