Portage County committees approve resolution to pursue single point of access, authorize security RFP and add one deputy

At a joint meeting of multiple Portage County committees, members approved a resolution to move forward with a single point of access for the county courthouse, authorize a request for proposals for private security screening and create one full‑time equivalent sheriff’s deputy position, officials said.

The action, introduced by the chair and discussed by county staff and the sheriff, was advanced by motions across Executive Operations, Space & Property, Public Safety and Emergency Management, Finance and Human Resources committees and carried with affirmative votes in each committee.

County staff said the courthouse Phase 1 renovation is a $5,000,000 project and that work on courthouse design ties into plans for single point of access. “We’re currently running an RFP for security guard services,” the sheriff said, describing a plan that would pair private security contracted to screen visitors with sheriff’s office supervision.

The sheriff outlined the staffing approach: private guards would handle screening at front doors while sheriff supervisors would oversee the contracted teams. “The private security will be doing this screening down at the front doors, and we'd be their supervisors,” the sheriff said. Staff estimated contracted security services could cost roughly $70,000 to $100,000; recurring salary costs for the additional deputy were not specified in the discussion.

Committee members asked about hours of operation and the deputy’s schedule. The sheriff said the deputy position would be scheduled on a 2,088‑hour full‑time basis and that the proposed courthouse policy would define hours as roughly 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with rotation and 8‑ to 8.5‑hour shifts used to provide coverage.

Officials said the timeline for implementing single point of access remains tentative; staff suggested summer or fall 2026 as a possible target but said the date could change as design and procurement proceed. The sheriff also said policy and procedure changes related to courthouse entry would be routed through the Emergency Management Committee for review.

A recorded motion to approve the resolution was made during the joint meeting and moved forward in each committee; the transcript records motions including “Motion by Lattigan” and “Motion by Laddix, seconded by Rockmans” and multiple verbal “aye” votes before the chair declared the motion carried. The transcript did not provide a full named vote tally for each committee, and detailed recurring cost estimates for the deputy were not provided during the meeting.

Next steps identified in the discussion include completing the RFP process for private security, finalizing design changes tied to single point of access, and routing policy changes to Emergency Management for approval. The committees adjourned after the votes.