Public Safety Committee advances records software, treatment contract, ammunition purchase and 911 provider change

The Macomb County Records and Public Safety Committee recommended several items to the full Board of Commissioners on Feb. 13, approving a records management contract renewal, advancing an intergovernmental juvenile detention agreement for full‑board consideration, authorizing a grant‑funded treatment services contract for specialty courts, approving an ammunition purchase for sheriff training, and approving changes to the county's 911 service provider arrangements.

Tyler Technologies contract

The committee recommended approval of a three‑year renewal contract for records management software with Tyler Technologies, presented by Brian Burdack, who identified himself to the panel. Burdack said the renewal covers both vital records and Register of Deeds systems and that the vendor agreed to renew at the same cost the county had paid over the prior five years after negotiations. He said the majority of the contract is paid through the Register of Deeds technology fund, noting a $47,000 annual contribution for the vital records portion. The contract amount shown in the meeting materials was $828,249 for the three‑year term. The committee voted to recommend the contract to the full board; the motion carried 12–0 at the committee.

Juvenile detention intergovernmental agreement

The committee received an intergovernmental contract with St. Clair County for juvenile detention services. The agreement was described as having no cost to Macomb County. Committee members asked that Miss Westfall, director of juvenile justice services, appear before the full board to explain details; commissioners moved the item to the full board for consideration. The motion passed 12–0 in committee.

Specialty court treatment contract (HEART)

Court Services Director Christina Wolfield presented a sole‑bid contract award to Health Equity Recovery Technologies LLC (referred to in materials as HEART) for outpatient substance use and mental health services supporting multiple specialty court programs. Wolfield said the contract is funded entirely with grant dollars that the county administers through five different specialty court grants and that the vendor was the lone bidder in the RFP process. She said the contract will be used primarily by the sobriety treatment court but is available to other problem‑solving courts including drug court, mental health court, veterans court and a swift‑response supervision program.

Wolfield described typical program capacities: sobriety treatment court is budgeted for roughly 25 participants (up to 30 if funds permit); drug court up to 50; mental health court and veterans court about 25–30 each; and a sanctions/probation program 25–30. She said the sobriety court requires at least one treatment team member to be present at staffing and court sessions and that the county requested on‑site staffing in the RFP; Wolfield said concerns about low RFP responses stem from community agencies’ staffing models and billing limitations with insurers. The committee approved the contract recommendation to the full board; the motion carried 12–0.

Ammunition purchase for sheriff training

Captain Doherty presented a purchase request to buy ammunition from Vance’s Law Enforcement for $60,384.75. Doherty said Vance’s holds the State of Michigan contract for Winchester and Hornady ammunition used by law enforcement. He told the committee the purchase will allow sheriff personnel to complete mandatory Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) trainings and annual qualifications and to provide ammunition for duty carry. The committee approved forwarding the purchase to the full board; the motion carried 12–0.

911 service provider change to Peninsula Fiber Network

Director Elsie presented a request to enter into an agreement with Peninsula Fiber Network (PFN) to become Macomb County’s next‑generation core 911 service provider and a companion resolution to amend the county’s 911 service plan. Elsie requested the committee consider the contract and the resolution together, noting PFN already serves other Michigan counties and participates in an Oakland County cooperative purchasing contract that Macomb County could leverage. She described the arrangement as having no direct cash flow through the county: PFN would submit invoices to the Michigan Public Service Commission for reimbursement from the state 911 fund, which is supported by the state 25¢ device surcharge; Elsie said the state fund covers vendor costs including installation and ongoing maintenance.

Elsie said PFN’s system uses a fiber backbone and an Emergency Services Internet (ESInet) to deliver enhanced location information, reduce call transfer times between the county’s nine public safety answering points (PSAPs), and improve call routing. She said the county has a tentative kickoff meeting in late February and expected migration to be complete by November of the implementation year discussed at the meeting. Elsie told commissioners there should be no service outage during migration because PFN would transfer one 911 trunk at a time and that there would be no equipment swaps in individual PSAPs; the change primarily involves routing at the selective router and conversion to fiber‑based delivery. Commissioners asked about long‑term maintenance and costs; Elsie said ongoing costs and maintenance are covered by the state emergency fund and that estimated vendor reimbursement across the seven‑year period presented was "just under $15,000,000" as shown in the vendor cost study submitted to the Michigan Public Service Commission. The committee approved recommending the contract and resolution to the full board; combined motion carried 12–0.

Why it matters: the committee advanced several operational and public‑safety items that affect county records operations, specialty court services, law enforcement training readiness and the county’s 911 infrastructure. Several items are fully or primarily grant‑funded or reimbursed via state mechanisms, limiting direct county budget impacts as described by staff.

Votes at a glance

- Item A (Tyler Technologies records management contract): recommended to full board, committee vote 12–0; contract amount shown $828,249 (three years); majority funded from Register of Deeds technology fund ($47,000/year for vital records portion). - Item B (St. Clair County juvenile detention intergovernmental agreement): moved to full board for consideration; described as no cost to county; committee vote 12–0. - Item C (HEART outpatient substance use/mental health services contract): recommended to full board, committee vote 12–0; contract is grant‑funded and the sole bidder; primary use by sobriety treatment court. - Item D (Vance’s ammunition purchase): recommended to full board, committee vote 12–0; amount $60,384.75. - Item E / F (Resolution and agreement to adopt Peninsula Fiber Network as 911 provider): recommended to full board, committee vote 12–0; staff described the arrangement as dollar‑neutral to the county with state reimbursement through the Michigan Public Service Commission and estimated vendor reimbursement over the presented term described as "just under $15,000,000."