County approves Intech Apex court software; payment from JP fund tabled pending contract review
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Summary
Washington County commissioners approved purchase and sole‑source designation for Intech Apex Court Solutions for justice of the peace courts but tabled a request to authorize one‑time payment from the Justice of the Peace Technology Fund until a contract and IT review are complete.
Washington County Commissioners Court on Sept. 16 approved the purchase of Intech Apex Court Solutions software for use by the county’s justice of the peace courts and designated Intech Apex as a sole‑source vendor. The court declined to authorize immediate payment from the Justice of the Peace (JP) Technology Fund, tabling that item until the vendor contract and a review by county information technology staff are complete.
County and court leaders said the software is intended to replace an older case system and to streamline interfaces with state and local systems. “We have met with the sheriff’s office, all four constables’ offices, the county attorney’s office, everybody that would be impacted by this software to get their buy‑in,” a presenting judge said, describing roughly two years of research and demonstrations.
Court proponents said Intech’s package includes a data conversion and interfaces that the county expects will connect with the Office of Court Administration, the state bail system and the Department of Public Safety (DPS). The presenter said the one‑time data conversion cost is $15,000 and that the vendor has already populated historical traffic‑ticket data back to 2010 as a conversion foundation.
The judge and other speakers described additional potential benefits, including automated notifications when judges sign orders, automatic transmission of emergency protective order and TCIC data to dispatch, and issuing of mobile ticket writers for deputies and constables as part of the system. The presenter compared the vendor solution with alternatives, saying county staff evaluated Tyler, NetData and LGS and that some alternatives either could not meet interface needs or had canceled demonstrations.
Commissioners asked for assurances that the quoted costs are complete and for time to let the county attorney and IT review the contract. A motion to authorize payment from the JP Technology Fund was introduced later in the meeting but commissioners voted to table that payment authorization until the contract is returned for review.
The court approved the software purchase and sole‑source designation and instructed that the JP fund payment decision return to a future agenda after contract and IT review. The presenter said Intech will not start conversion work until a signed contract is in place and that the JP courts aim for a January 1 implementation timeline if conversion proceeds on schedule.
Votes at a glance: the purchase and sole‑source designation were approved; the funding authorization from the JP Technology Fund was tabled pending submission of the fully reviewed contract and IT comments.
Ending: County officials said they expect the payment and any related execution steps to return to the court for final approval once the county attorney and IT have completed their reviews.
