Logan County seeks to mesh new videoconference installation with courthouse restoration
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[September 23, 2019] 

At the Logan County Board meeting Tuesday, September 17, one focus of discussion was going out for bids for video conferencing. Video conferences between prisoners in jail and judges at the courthouse would improve security and save money.

At last week’s Finance Committee and at the Board Workshop, Judge Jonathan Wright explained videoconferencing can save money and manpower because it will mean deputies will not have to transport prisoners back and forth.

Board members present were Dave Blankenship, Emily Davenport, Janet Estill, Bob Farmer, Cameron Halpin, David Hepler, Steve Jenness, Chuck Ruben, Bob Sanders, Scott Schaffenacker, Annette Welch and Jim Wessbecher.

Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Ruben motioned to go out for bids for videoconferencing equipment and installation.

Anything over $30,000 must go out for public bid and setting up videoconferencing may cost up to $65,000.

Blankenship motioned to have Bill Walter do the bid specs for an amount not to go over $1,500.

Since the county is going out for public bids, and it is a complex project that has to integrate with the courthouse restoration, Blankenship said he wanted to secure Bill Walter for a bid spec so the bids come in “apples to apples” or as close as possible to one another.

Blankenship said all bidders would receive the same list of specifications so even if the product is different, the end result will be the same.

Ruben asked Logan County Sheriff Mark Landers if he thought having Mr. Walter go out for bids specs is necessary.

Landers asked if Mr. Walter is familiar with videoconferencing.

Walter said he has an architect from his company that does that almost exclusively.

Blankenship asked if Landers gets specifications when he goes out for public bids.

The Sheriff’s Department went through one company with Judge Jonathan Wright to get some specifications. Landers said they can talk to surrounding agencies that already use videoconferencing.

The work should be retrofitted to go with the possible courthouse restoration, and Blankenship wants to avoid those restoring the courthouse having to move, replace or tear out work already done. For example, he wants to make sure they are using the right product and wires are not too long. In using wire, Blankenship said, wires would need to be long enough to conceal and get back to the original mounting point.

Ruben said at this point, the work would just affect the Safety Complex and (the courthouse) second floor. They are not addressing the third floor (courthouse) at this time.

Saying he was just referring to the second floor, Blankenship said he does not want the wires to run too short. If they do a tear out and rebuild on the second-floor courtroom, he wants everything to retrofit. Blankenship said he is just adding to it and not changing anything. He did not think the work would add any time to the restoration

Since every manufacturer has a basic scope for equipment, Walter said they also need to figure out quality and performance and create a performance spec based on that level. Whoever comes to the table must meet minimum standards. He said it is not comparing “apples, oranges and pears” and saying, “They are all fruit, they all taste the same.”

Though Walter said it would not preclude anyone, the company may need to figure out what will accommodate restoration.

Blankenship said the board needs to make sure they are not wasting taxpayer money on having to redo work when they do the project, so he wants to make sure they are getting the optimum install.

Ruben asked whether the county needs to meet certain state specifications to get a grant since it is state money that helps with the veteran’s court portion.

Landers said the grant money coming from veteran’s court may help define what the specifications are, and to define whether to go fiber optic. He will not know about the grant until October.

With some unknowns, Ruben said just collecting bids would not lock the county into anything. The county can go out for bids again if parameters change, but Ruben said he does not want to miss the opportunity.

Davenport asked whether they usually had to pay for bids.

Blankenship said no, but he just does not see how the county would get equal bids without specification. He thinks specifications can be easily met; they just need to retrofit well with restoration. He said the specs and install would be the same for all.

Sanders asked if the circuit judges would need to sign off on bids.

Landers said yes, the judges approved and looked into what needed to be done, and Viscon (the company that networks the courthouse) had to verify the courthouse had proper fiber optic cables.

Hepler said he would like Walter’s group to write the bid specifications since the county is already working with him.

Blankenship’s amendment to secure Bill Walter to write bid specs passed 7-5.

Blankenship, Estill, Farmer, Halpin, Hepler, Jenness and Wessbecher voted yes.

Davenport, Ruben, Sanders, Schaffenacker and Welch voted no.

Ruben’s main motion to go out for bids for videoconferencing passed unanimously.

[Angela Reiners]