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County approves $101,620 replacement of juvenile justice center intercom system after failing equipment and licensing concerns
Summary
Macomb County awarded a $101,620 contract to International Controls and Equipment to replace a failing two-way communication system at the Juvenile Justice Center; commissioners were told the current equipment is obsolete, the work is required by licensing, and funding is available in existing budgets.
Macomb County commissioners approved a $101,620 contract with International Controls and Equipment to replace the failing intercom and two-way communication system at the county Juvenile Justice Center.
The county’s juvenile justice director told commissioners the present system is failing, parts are unavailable for repair, and the equipment is required by licensing rules that mandate a means of two-way communication in sleeping rooms and intake areas. The county ran a pre-bid tour that drew 12 companies, received six bids that ranged from $101,000 to $315,000, interviewed the three lowest bidders and recommended the lowest responsive bidder, International Controls and Equipment.
Scope and changes: the selected replacement will eliminate several intermediate substations and route resident calls directly to the county’s CCTV operations center, which is staffed 24/7, reducing lag points in the current system. The project also removes a facility-wide “all-call” overhead paging feature because staff now use handheld radios for incident response. County staff said these changes reduce scope and cost compared with the original system that was designed for a much larger facility.
Procurement and warranty: county staff conducted pre-bid site tours and post-bid interviews. The recommended vendor is local and has previously worked in the region; staff said the bid met the full scope and that funds are available in the county budget so no new appropriation is required. Commissioners asked about warranties and redundancy; staff said the bid includes one year of labor and standard manufacturer warranties and noted the county will consider holding spare parts on hand after warranty periods end.
Occupancy and safety: commissioners discussed current facility occupancy (staff reported around 20 residents on the day of the meeting, with fluctuations) and confirmed life-safety systems such as the fire alarm operate separately from the intercom. County staff said the project is required to keep the facility in compliance with licensing standards.
Vote and next steps: the board approved the contract after committee consideration; the motion passed 11 to 0 in committee. County staff said installation will proceed under the awarded contract and will return to appropriate procurement or facilities staff for scheduling details.
Ending: Commissioners asked additional operational questions about warranties, spare-unit strategies and how the new system will integrate with radios; staff agreed to provide follow-up details on warranties and spare-part options.
