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Pondera County approves 911 and IT upgrades, PSAP certification application and contracts for inmate phone services
Summary
Commissioners approved MACO cybersecurity services, encryption licenses and other 911/IT purchases, authorized applying for 2026 PSAP certification, approved a Reliance Systems inmate SMS/phone contract and a DIS Technologies server warranty update.
During March meetings the Pondera County commission approved a set of public safety and information-technology items intended to support dispatch and county systems.
The board authorized a Montana Association of Counties Cybersecurity & Technologies Services agreement at $149.70 per month; the service package includes transitioning county email from a .org domain to .gov. The commission approved purchasing Motorola encryption licenses and equipment for the Sheriff's Department totaling $14,000.50, and the purchase of radio repeaters for mobile radios for the Sheriff's Department for $2,000.53 to be paid from the 911 fund.
Commissioners approved additional dispatcher shifts (up to 12 extra shifts per month) at an estimated total cost of $12,500 for the remainder of the fiscal year to help with scheduling. The board also approved applying for 2026 PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point) certification, a required step for jurisdictions hosting a primary dispatch center to receive quarterly funding.
The commission approved a contract with Reliance Systems for inmate SMS and phone services; rates in the minutes indicate inmates will be charged $0.21 per minute and the county will receive 35% of that revenue. Separately, the board approved a one-year server warranty update with DIS Technologies for $1,900 and recommended a five-year replacement schedule for servers.
Each action was recorded as a motion carried in the minutes. The minutes do not include contract documents or detailed technical specifications; county departments are listed as the implementing units for routine procurement and follow-up.
