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Authorizing Funding and Purchase of a Rapid DNA Instrument and Database Capability for the Kane County Forensics Lab and Related Budget Adjustment
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WHEREAS, the Kane County Forensics lab, housed at the Kane County Sheriff’s Office, was founded by the members of the Opioid Settlement Fund Committee to enhance the use of forensics testing to track opioid use in this County and to support the justice-involved work of the Coroner’s, Sheriff’s, and State’s Attorney’s Offices; and
WHEREAS, the use of DNA as an investigative tool has grown and improved over the past decade, as has the technology to support its analysis; and
WHEREAS, the elected officials of these offices agree that the use of rapid DNA testing will be of benefit to their work as well as to the Kane County Health Department and other County law enforcement agencies; and
WHEREAS, the Kane County Coroner’s Office received the 2024 BJA Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grant, a reimbursement grant, in the amount of $963,000 through US Congressman Bill Foster’s office to support the establishment and expansion of the Forensics Lab and its ability to provide needed analytic services; and
WHEREAS, the Kane County Coroner proposes the use of a portion of these grant funds to purchase a rapid DNA instrument and supporting database capabilities for the Forensics Lab to enable the lab to provide this service to Kane County law enforcement agencies; and
WHEREAS, proposals were solicited by the Kane County Purchasing Department through RFP 25-025 for a rapid DNA instrument and two responses were received; and
WHEREAS, Life Technologies Corp of Carlsbad, CA, with a quote of $138,217.50 for the instrument plus $12,434.50 for support services at a total of $150,652.00 for the purchase, is the preferred bidder for purchase; and
WHEREAS, quotes were obtained for database capabilities needed to perform the matching of profiles from the two companies that have developed the necessary technology, and SmallPond, LLC, of Indianapolis, IN, is the preferred company with the lowest quote of $12,000.00 per year and the most established database. The desire is to purchase two years of database services initially to ensure continuity for $24,000.00; and
WHEREAS, the Forensics Lab will need to purchase supplies and general consumables for the operation of the Lab for approximately $25,348.00 from various vendors; and
WHEREAS, the Kane County Coroner, as the administrator of the above-noted grant, proposes to use $200,000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand and 00/100 Dollars) of the 2024 Byrne grant to reimburse the Coroner’s Office for the purchase of the instrument, database capability, and operation consumables that will equip and enable the Kane County Forensics Lab to conduct rapid DNA analysis. The purchase will be made first from the Coroner’s Cash and Investments account, which the 2024 BJA Byrne grant will then reimburse; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with 55 ILCS 5/6-1003, the Kane County Board must approve an emergency appropriation to the Fiscal Year 2025 Kane County Budget and approve any corresponding budget adjustments for the 2024 BJA Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grant funds to reimburse the Coroner’s Office for the cost of these purchases.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Kane County Board authorizes the following appropriation and adjustment to the Fiscal Year 2025 budget to initiate the purchase of the rapid DNA testing equipment and required databases (Fund 289) by the Kane County Coroner’s Office, with the expectation it will then be reimbursed from the 2024 BJA Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grant:
$200,000.00 Grants - Federal Gov’t 289.490.496.33903
$150,652.00 Equipment 289.490.496.60010
$ 25,348.00 Supplies 289.490.496.60025
$ 24,000.00 Miscellaneous Supplies 289.490.496.65000
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Kane County Board and the Chairman thereof authorize the purchase of a rapid DNA instrument and support services from Life Technologies, Corp. of Carlsbad, CA, in the amount of One Hundred Fifty Thousand, Six Hundred Fifty-Two and 00/100 Dollars ($150,652.00), the purchase of two years of database capabilities for Twenty-Four Thousand and 00/100 Dollars ($24,000.00) from SmallPond, LLC, of Indianapolis, IN, and the purchase of various consumables from unidentified vendors for the operation of rapid DNA testing for approximately Twenty-Five Thousand, Three Hundred Forty-Eight and 00/100 Dollars ($25,348.00) for a total cost of Two Hundred Thousand and 00/100 Dollars ($200,000.00) to establish rapid DNA testing capabilities by the Kane County Coroner’s Office for use by the Kane County Forensics Lab.
Line Item: See above.
Line Item Description: See above.
Was Personnel/Item/Service approved in original budget or a subsequent budget revision? No
Are funds currently available for this Personnel/Item/Service in the specific line item? Yes
If funds are not currently available in the specified line item, where are the funds available?
See above.
Passed by the Kane County Board on November 10, 2025.
____________________________ ____________________________
John A. Cunningham, MBA, JD, JD Corinne M. Pierog MA, MBA
Clerk, County Board Chairman, County Board
Kane County, Illinois Kane County, Illinois
Vote: