Young County approves roughly $21,000 upgrade to courthouse camera system

Young County Commissioners voted to approve an approximately $21,000 upgrade to the courthouse camera system and to convert remaining analog feeds to digital, officials said. The upgrade will add cameras in identified blind spots, improve server storage and provide recorded footage retention. County staff and a Guardian Systems representative described gaps in coverage and noted two additional cameras were needed to cover a courthouse mall area. A staff member said current digital retention allows 30 days of stored video: "30 days? Oh, wow," the presiding official said during discussion of retention capacity. The vendor explained the work would include GPS‑integrated equipment and additional cameras to provide coverage at both ends of a corridor that is now only recorded from one side. Commissioners discussed funding; one official said the purchase would be "subject to Cheryl finding" money in the courthouse budget. Despite that condition, the court approved the purchase by voice vote. A motion to approve the camera upgrade was moved by Commissioner Wiley and seconded by Commissioner Craig; the motion passed with no recorded opposition. County staff said two extra cameras would be added and the county would continue to coordinate installation and server upgrades with the vendor. County officials said the project is being coordinated with next year's budget planning for broader audiovisual upgrades in county offices, and that the immediate work will be limited to the courthouse security system and select displays. The exact vendor contract amount and per-camera unit pricing were discussed informally during the meeting; the county recorded the project approval and directed staff to finalize procurement and confirm budget availability before final invoicing.