Logan County seeks to mesh new
videoconference installation with courthouse restoration
See ad in classifieds - Legal Notices
Send a link to a friend
[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.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2019/Sep/23/images/ads/current/graue_sda_2016.png)
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.
[to top of second column] |
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2015/May/02/images/ads/current/guzzardo_lda022609.png)
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.”
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2019/Sep/23/images/ads/current/rohlfs_lda_072017.png)
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] |