Extra Cost Of Security Cameras Discussed By Commissioners

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Grant County Law Enforcement recently installed a new state-of-the art security camera system, which required a little extra work when the cameras were in the process of being installed. The county was charged $3,531 more than the original bid, and the commissioners had questions before approving the bills at last week’s commission meeting.

“The reason for that was after they set them up and looked at them, they had some spots they weren’t able to see as good,” said Commission Chairman John Martin. “Since they did that, James (Biddle) went ahead and added a couple of deals over at the jailhouse.”

The idea was to get it done while the company was in the process of installation. Martin said the sheriff figured the commission could amend the approval to include the $3,500 and split it from the special equipment fund and half from the sheriff’s fund.

“In the future, typically how we like to handle those is if they know it’s going to be more, they should let us know up front before we get the bill,” said Commissioner Mark McGaughey.

“He did, he let me know the day they found that out,” Martin replied. “I was up here, and he said, ‘Hey I’ve got something here,’ I said Well yeah, he’s here, we’ll figure it out. Worst case scenario if we didn’t want to approve it, it’ll all come out of his budget. It’s understandable how that happened.”

McGaughey said he understood.

“I’m just saying since we’ve already approved an amount not to go over, at that point we should have had a meeting to approve before it was done,” McGaughey said. “Or approve it before we were billed for it. Because otherwise, if we don’t approve it, how’s he gonna get paid?”

Martin said that’s what they were doing (at that meeting), approving it.

“But it’s too late, it’s already done,” McGaughey said. “If we don’t approve it, what happens?”

“Well, I guess we’ll find out here in a minute,” Martin replied.

McGaughey asked what’s the reason for a motion to spend no more than a certain amount if they will end up spending more?

“We can’t make a motion all the time then go over our motion, what’s the reason for a motion?” McGaughey said. “A motion to spend no more than this amount, and now all of a sudden we’re going over that amount.”

Martin said the sheriff – who was not in attendance for the discussion – let him know what was happening before they installed it.

“I probably should have let you two (McGaughey and Darrin Figgins) know about it also,” Martin said.

“Exactly,” McGaughey said.

“But, at the end of the day, he’s there that day installing them, either move forward with doing it or come back later and do it,” Martin added. “It makes sense to do it right then.”

McGaughey said he didn’t disagree.

“I’m disagreeing with the fact he went over what we approved,” McGaughey said.

“I get what you’re saying Mark, and I agree with you a hundred percent,” Martin said.

McGaughey agreed it needed to be done, we should have allowed for more, not knowing what cameras could be added on in the future.

“Safety is the reason we’re installing these cameras to begin with,” McGaughey said. “So, I agree it needed to be done but I just don’t think we went about it in the right way.”

McGaughey said that if a similar issue arises in the future, the commission could call a special meeting, and commissioners would have to make a motion to approve it.

“We should have met before to approve it,” he added.

Martin said Biddle was okay with taking the extra money out of his budget.

“We could do it that way, I don’t think we should do it that way, but we could, and that would serve the notice to them to get the message that you’re wanting to do,” Martin said. “But at the end of the day I think the right thing to do is split it.”

McGaughey said he would rather take the additional amount out of the sheriff’s budget.

The original amount of $52,808 was split between the county’s special equipment fund and 911 funds the sheriff had left over. With the additional amount, the total is $56,399.

Figgins was okay with splitting the extra cost and agreed it didn’t get handled right, but it’s a necessary expense.

“If half of it came out of special equipment and half of it came out of the sheriff’s budget instead of the 911 fund, that would be a little bit of a ding back on him,” Martin said.

Martin made the motion to amend the budget request for the camera system, with half coming out of the special equipment fund and half coming out of the sheriff’s department budget, with a second by Figgins. The motion passed, 3-0.