Erath County signs SLG Technology contracts for joint dispatch center; managed services contract runs four years

Erath County Commissioners Court on Sept. 22 approved two technology contracts with SLG Technologies to support construction and ongoing IT operations at the Erath County Joint Dispatch Center.

During the construction phase, the court approved a technology services agreement that will pay SLG $550 per month from September through June for on-site consultations, construction-meeting participation and to advise McKinstry and other contractors about cabling and system placement. "That is a monthly payment of $550 for their services, as we do the build out to ensure that the technology and everything is installed correctly," Mr. Brooks told the court.

The court also approved a four-year managed services contract to provide 24/7 monitoring, repairs and IT support once the dispatch center is operational. County staff presented year-by-year pricing in the meeting: Year 1 at $38,952; Year 2 at $41,290; Year 3 at $43,768; and Year 4 at $46,395. Mr. Brooks and others told the court the contract covers network monitoring, server management and coordination among multiple users of the facility, including the county, the City of Stephenville and Tarleton State University.

Why it matters: The joint dispatch center will be used by multiple jurisdictions; the contract is intended to provide neutral, continuous IT support and to reduce the county's operational risk if critical systems fail.

Court discussion and rationale: Speakers emphasized SLG's ongoing participation in project meetings and experience supporting the sheriff's office. Mr. Brooks described the use of Procore by the construction team for daily updates and photographs and said SLG staff will consult on technology installations and approve work as it is completed. "If you look at the cost of this,'” Mr. Brooks said, "I don't know how familiar you are with what it costs to hire somebody to work in IT...To me, this is a no brainer for us to sign this contract."

Implementation notes: County staff said SLG will attend construction meetings and support a transition of servers and systems into the dispatch center once built. County representatives said they will coordinate technical details with the City of Stephenville's IT staff to ensure interoperability.

Formal actions taken: - Approved technology service agreement for construction-phase support with SLG Technologies at $550/month (motion by Commissioner Stevens; second by Commissioner Edwards; outcome: approved). - Approved managed services contract with SLG Technologies, four-year term, with year-by-year costs presented (motion by Commissioner Stevens; second by Commissioner Ray; outcome: approved).

Speakers (attributions used in article text): - Mr. Brooks — presenter on technology contracts (county staff). - Mr. Johnson / Mr. Gossett — vendor/partner representatives present (identified as attending; transcript references present). - Commissioner Stevens — County Commissioner (mover on both motions). - Commissioner Edwards — County Commissioner (second/participant).

Clarifying details extracted: - Construction-phase contract: $550 per month from September through June (construction period cited). - Managed-services contract pricing: Year 1 $38,952; Year 2 $41,290; Year 3 $43,768; Year 4 $46,395. - Contract scope: 24/7 network monitoring, repairs, server management and coordination across multiple agencies using the facility. - Project management tool referenced: Procore (used by McKinstry for construction documentation).

Proper names: [{"name":"Erath County Joint Dispatch Center","type":"facility"},{"name":"SLG Technologies","type":"business"},{"name":"McKinstry","type":"business"},{"name":"Procore","type":"other"},{"name":"Tarleton State University","type":"organization"},{"name":"City of Stephenville","type":"other"}]

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