New security coming to court house, jail

Within the next couple of months, new security measures will be installed in the courthouse, jail and dispatch area using grant monies from the Department of Homeland Security.

Dean Peranteaux, IT director for the county, has spoken with all of the department heads to discover what each of them would like to see in the way of security measures along with the judges and Emergency Management Coordinator Bill Gordon, and has created a plan that will bring all of the departments within the buildings together.

Peranteaux told the commissioners at Tuesday’s meeting that it is critical to add cameras, but they must be compatible with the current system. He is exploring different options from various companies to ensure they will all integrate.

Gordon had suggested a system addition that would turn every keyboard in the courthouse into a panic button with a few easy to remember strokes. Peranteaux plans on working more with Gordon to see what options are available in that direction.

There is a possibility that whatever system is finally chosen, integration into the system can also be had by other county buildings such as the library and the museum.

The commissioners received two proposals for service from Nelson Architects for re-roofing the courthouse and jail as well as the library.

While the roofing costs themselves are not in question, the line item for the architectural portion of the proposals appears to be higher than the county has paid in the past.

County Clerk Rose DeSeyn will be going through previous work done for the county by Nelson Architects to determine if the costs are in line. The commissioners will determine whether or not to agree to the proposals based on her information at their next meeting.