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Sheriff asks commissioners for $45,000 supplement to replace jail video server and for other IT upgrades
Summary
Sheridan County Sheriff Levi Dominguez told commissioners the jail’s single remaining server is failing and the office requests an additional $45,000 (on top of $10,000 already budgeted) to replace it; he also requested a LifeScan maintenance visit (~$3,808) and a countywide Office 365 licensing upgrade (~$12,000/yr).
Sheridan County Sheriff Levi Dominguez told the Board of Commissioners on Jan. 12 that the jail’s video-recording system is running 94 cameras from a single, ageing server and that the system is producing “very slow and choppy video,” jeopardizing retention and evidentiary quality. “It’s a matter of time before this fails,” Dominguez said, arguing the county should replace the server before a catastrophic loss of video.
Dominguez and IT staff presented vendor quotes ranging from roughly $55,000 to $60,000 to replace the recording hardware and related components. Dominguez said IT has already budgeted $10,000 for the work this fiscal year and requested an additional $45,000 from IT’s budget so the replacement can proceed immediately rather than waiting for the next budget cycle.
Mark Brammer, the county IT manager, described the existing machine as “very, very, very old” and said an in‑house rebuild would require expensive software — roughly $30,000 — that would make a vendor bundle more cost‑effective. Brammer said some vendors offered higher bids but that one vendor (MTI) would provide the software as part of its package, making the vendor quote the more practical option for now.
Dominguez also asked the board to approve two additional sheriff’s‑office IT items. First, the jail’s fingerprint system (an IDEMIA LifeScan unit) cannot currently transmit prints to the state after a statewide update; Dominguez said an on‑site maintenance visit and a maintenance agreement are required. The immediate cost cited for that work was $3,808, with staff estimating the total immediate outlay would be under $5,000 and that the maintenance would become an annual expense.
Second, Brammer said the sheriff’s office needs an Office 365 licensing upgrade to a G3 tier to support two‑factor authentication and email archival required by the county’s insurance carrier; staff estimated the recurring cost at about $12,000 per year and said the change should occur this fiscal year to meet insurance requirements.
No formal vote on funding occurred at the Jan. 12 staff meeting; Dominguez asked that the server and licensing items be put on the next staff agenda so commissioners can consider them for formal action. The sheriff emphasized the timing as urgent because the backup server is aged and could fail at any moment, which would affect retention of evidence and the quality of video used in prosecutions.
