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Commissioners flag problems with county IT contractor, consider meeting and possible contract action
Summary
County officials reported persistent problems with their IT vendor (referred to in meeting as "5 Nines"), including failing workstations, delayed support and unmet contract obligations; commissioners discussed scheduling a meeting with the vendor and warned of potential legal steps if issues are not resolved.
Keith County commissioners and staff raised concerns Thursday about the county’s IT services contract and equipment failures, and they directed staff to schedule a meeting with the vendor to resolve outstanding problems.
County staff reported approximately 41 workstations needing upgrades from Windows 10 to Windows 11 and several county laptops and in‑vehicle devices that are failing. A county representative said only about five computers in the field were fully operational, and that additional devices are projected to fail later this year. Staff also said planned body‑camera purchases and other equipment are being pursued in coordination with grant schedules so purchases can be included in the next budget cycle.
Commissioners and staff repeatedly criticized the IT services vendor (referred to in the meeting as “5 nines” or “5 Nines”) for slow response and incomplete work. One county official said the county has “not seen improvement in 2 years” and recommended confronting the contractor with a written list of deficiencies, setting time frames for remedy, and pursuing legal action — including contract termination — if the vendor does not meet obligations.
County staff recommended convening a meeting with the vendor to go through the county’s list of outstanding service items and to demand a remediation schedule. The board directed staff to arrange that meeting and to return with recommended next steps.
Why it matters: Delay or failure to fix county IT systems affects public records, dispatch, in‑vehicle public‑safety systems, and county operations. Staff said ongoing problems include slow logins, unusable field devices, and a backlog of unresolved service requests.
No formal action to terminate the contract was taken at the meeting; commissioners discussed pursuing legal remedies if the vendor fails to meet a remediation timetable.
