Oconto County will replace its video conferencing equipment in two courtrooms, allowing people to appear at hearings via TV monitors from courtrooms or prison systems outside the county.
The County Board on Thursday agreed to contract with Camera Corner Connecting Point, Green Bay, for the purchase and installation of video conferencing equipment. The cost is $120,670.
Judge Michael Judge said the equipment will save on time and labor because hearings, sometimes as brief as five minutes, can be held via video conference.
This eliminates the need for law enforcement officers to transport defendants from prison systems in places such as Waupun or Prairie du Chien to Oconto County for appearances. The defendants are then housed in the county for a day or two, adding to the county’s expense, then transported back to their facilities.
In the Branch II courtroom where Judge Jay Conley presides, the video conferencing equipment is no longer functioning. In Branch I, where Judge presides, the equipment is unreliable.
“In mine, it works sometimes, and we pray and hope that when we call in there’s an answer, that our systems are compatible, and we can actually have a good call and video conference,” Judge said.
The equipment was installed in 2004, and the county set aside $50,000 — about the same amount spent in 2004 — for new equipment in the 2015 budget. The county received two bids, for $120,670 and $139,920.
“We did not realize it would cost so much money. … But the fact is that we have a system that does not work,” Judge said.
“One of the reasons it costs more is it’s a full replacement, not only the TVs and monitors, but also the wiring, etc.,” Oconto County Administrative Coordinator Kevin Hamann said.
The county’s Technology Services Committee recommended taking $71,000 from the county’s contingency fund to cover the unexpected costs in order to install two compatible systems. The purchase was approved with a 30-0 vote; one supervisor was absent.
The board also approved the purchase of 20 chairs for the courtrooms, at a cost of $9,646, from Krueger International, of Green Bay. The purchase includes chairs costing $533 each for legal counsel, defendants and prosecutors and $405 each for the clerk of courts, deputy clerk, court security and court reporter.
According to Judge, the roller chairs used now allow defendants to “skip around.” The chairs are old, and their bottoms are loose. A couple of people have leaned back in their chairs and tipped over, he said.
“They do need to be replaced,” Judge said. “We have beautiful courtrooms there, and we believe the chairs should be functional and beautiful, too.”
Categories
