County administrator Derek Stane told Clayton Commission members the county's preliminary fiscal year 2027 capital improvement program totals $3,822,995 and relies heavily on a $3 million general-fund contribution alongside roughly $685,000 in grant funding and $50,000 in donations.

Stane said the county has been active in pursuing outside funds and reported several recent awards and pending requests. "We really hit the grant program hard this year," he said, summarizing grant activity across multiple departments and noting a $10,000 application submitted the morning of the meeting.

The presentation listed specific projects tied to grant awards and procurement moves. Stane said the communications-tower foundation behind the sheriff's office is complete, permitting is in hand and the county obtained a $150,000 E-911 grant to upgrade dispatch equipment and vehicle installs. He said the county will work with state police to finalize tower erection and radio connections.

A pump-station generator program funded from an Envigo settlement administered through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation was awarded just over $400,000, Stane said, enabling generator installation across multiple prioritized pump stations. He said the contractor work is underway with an expected completion in February or March and that splitting the work into consolidated mobilizations reduced costs.

On emergency medical services, Stane said the county previously authorized staff to pursue an ambulance purchase not to exceed $407,000. An RSAAFP grant award of $252,000 reduced the county's share; Stane told the commission the vendor price was negotiated down to $362,561 and staff plan to inspect the unit before delivery.

Other CIP items included sewer-line repairs bid in August (four bids received; two responsive), school-facility roof projects (an estimated $450,000 asphalt-shingle roof for Cumberland Elementary and a roughly $1.3 million gym-roof project at Luther P. Jackson), IT server and network refreshes, vehicle replacements and animal-control renovations. Stane noted some school projects are eligible for Department of Education infrastructure grants, while roof costs are not covered by those grants.

Stane urged commissioners to review the CIP materials and provide feedback ahead of a recommended budget presentation in January. He emphasized the package is a request at this stage, not a final recommendation, and said subsequent workshops and public hearings will inform final adoption.

Next steps: the capital program will be presented publicly in December, a recommended budget (including CIP) will follow in January, and the board will proceed through workshops, hearings and appropriation steps in the spring and early summer.