Board OKs upgrading computers

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MONTICELLO -- Supervisors approved a motion Tuesday to spend approximately $50,000 on computer upgrades to the sheriff's office and Justice Court.

The upgrades would not only bring the five-year-old system up-to-date, but would also link the two offices together, said Charlie Prince, county comptroller.

"It's not something we really have a choice on," Prince said. "They system we have is five years old."

The two offices need to be linked, said Sheriff Joel Thames, because of the possibility of them executing a warrant, releasing the person and that warrant not being erased from the Justice Court system. That could result in a second unwarranted arrest, Thames said, which could result in a false arrest lawsuit against the county.

"One false arrest because a warrant was not removed from the books would cost much more than ($50,000)
," Thames said.

Another reason for the upgrade that is just as important, but possibly not as damaging, Prince said, is that many state and federal agencies are requiring Internet reporting of mandated issues and the current system is not prepared for that.

The $50,000 price tag was the best received when the project was bid, Prince said.

"We did take bids and this is the only one we received," he said.

Included in the bid was a service maintenance contract at an additional cost. The board could opt for a three year plan at $13,000 or a five year plan at $21,000 if they decided to take a maintenance contract.

Prince recommended the board accept the five year contract to avoid going three years and then needing repairs and having to pay it for it themselves.

The board agreed and approved the purchase of the upgrade and the five year maintenance contract.

In other matters, interim Tax Assessor/Collector Jeff Peterson reported that delinquent property taxes exceeded $9,000 on 50 parcels of land. He also said the county recently sold 401 parcels of delinquent tax land at public auction for $85,369.01.

Mobile homes with delinquent taxes owed will be turned over to the Justice Court in December, Peterson said, to start proceedings there.

Paul McLain, director of the Lawrence County Community Development Association, informed the board that a ground-breaking for the new portion of the Highway 84 expansion will be held at 10:30 a.m. Sept. 11 at the national guard armory.

The final county budget hearing and decision to approve the reported budget will be held at 9 a.m. Friday in the courthouse.

Daily Leader

-- Anonymous, September 06, 2002


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