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Hood County reviews vendor dispute with Flock after $130,000 prepayment; court takes no immediate action
Summary
The court was updated on a dispute with vendor Flock over roughly $130,000 paid in advance for license‑plate‑reader and related services; Flock said policy changes do not create a contractual refund basis and offered credits or equipment but the court made no immediate legal move and will pursue mediation/negotiation.
Hood County officials told commissioners on June 9 they are negotiating with Flock after the county paid approximately $130,000 upfront for license‑plate reader services that were not fully deployed.
County staff recounted repeated attempts to secure a refund or mutually agreeable credit and said Flock has proposed alternatives such as prepayments toward mobile security trailers. Staff also cited mediation/arbitration language in Flock’s online terms pointing to Georgia law as governing dispute resolution.
Several speakers, including Mark Flowers (former law‑enforcement official), characterized the issue as a vendor performance and procurement failure and urged the county to pursue all remedies. Flowers said the contract had been signed by the county’s emergency‑communications director and questioned whether proper legal review and procurement steps were followed before prepayment.
The court did not vote to sue or to accept a settlement at the meeting but directed staff to continue negotiations and explore mediation, consistent with the vendor’s dispute‑resolution clauses. County counsel noted contractual and jurisdictional complexities (choice of law, mediation/arbitration clauses) that may affect how the county proceeds.
The court’s next steps will include continued negotiation, legal review of the contract terms and potential formal dispute resolution if talks fail.
