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County to extend Hall of Justice security contractor agreement and add cameras, funded by grants
Summary
Finance staff said the county will amend its contract with Security Solutions Northwest, extending the completion date to Feb. 28 and increasing the not‑to‑exceed amount to $351,005.76 to cover additional exterior cameras and an intercom; the project is funded by state grants and county contributions and will appear on the consent agenda.
Kathy Funk Baxter, Cowlitz County finance director, told the board on Feb. 3 that staff will request an amendment to the county’s agreement with Security Solutions Northwest to finish the Hall of Justice door access and camera project.
Baxter said the contract extension would move the contractor’s expiration date from Jan. 31 to Feb. 28 and increase the contract total to $351,005.76 to account for additional, unforeseen work such as exterior camera mounts and an intercom at the main entrance. "We have sufficient funding through grants, contributions from facilities and IT," Baxter told the board.
Why this matters: The county originally scoped a camera and door‑access upgrade and later received additional grant funds that allowed staff to expand the project. Baxter said some work required overtime after court hours and that contractor scheduling around the courts contributed to the delay; she added that the vendor has provided line‑item pricing and the county intends to stay within the amended not‑to‑exceed amount.
Baxter described how the intercom and camera placement will change building access: the intercom will be mounted outside the vestibule so the vestibule need not remain open 24/7 for after‑hours access, and cameras will be placed to provide improved views of parking areas that previously were obscured by trees. "We felt like we really needed to get a good camera view, and we didn't have a camera there that really got a specific view of the East Parking Lot," Baxter said.
What happens next: The amendment was placed on the board’s consent agenda for the following day; Baxter said staff expect the contractor to finish work soon but extended the deadline through the end of February to allow time for troubleshooting.
Ending: Commissioners were briefed on the project scope, funding and schedule; no final vote was taken during the Feb. 3 briefing beyond placing the amendment on the upcoming consent agenda.
