Commission adds phone-signal bags to court facilities grant as county adopts phone-free courtroom rule

County staff told commissioners that local courts have adopted a rule prohibiting cellphones in the courtroom and that signal-locking 'Yondr' bags have been used by nearby counties. The county has procured Yondr boxes (signal-secure enclosures) and is pursuing court security grant funding to cover that equipment.

Unidentified Speaker 9 explained the product and said Steele, Barnes and Traill counties also use the system; staff noted a subset of Yondr bags that do not block signals for users who need phones for medical reasons. Commissioners discussed whether to include the Yondr devices and other courthouse improvements (chairs) in the county's court facilities grant submission.

Unidentified Speaker 4 detailed the budget lines available for the courthouse (the transcript lists budget figures that were inconsistent in places), saying the county set aside about $6,500 in local budgeted funds and estimating a grant request. Commissioners voted to add the Yondr devices to the court facilities grant application; the motion passed by voice vote and the chair declared it carried.

Staff said Kelly (named in the transcript) would follow up to align the devices with a court security/facilities grant application and finalize numbers. Commissioners also discussed that recordings will become the official record in 2026 for some proceedings and that court recorders will continue to handle recordings.

The commission approved adding the Yondr equipment to the grant application and directed staff to coordinate final grant paperwork and any purchases contingent on grant awards.