Somerset County approves Waldo County jail administration agreement and prepayment for ‘Guardian’ inmate-management service

Somerset County commissioners on Tuesday approved an agreement with Waldo County to provide jail administration services and authorized prepayment of a three‑year service contract for an inmate-management system described in the meeting as “Guardian.” County staff said the system will provide radio‑frequency identification and face‑matching tools to streamline inmate checks and generate daily compliance reports.

County Administrator (reading the administrator’s report) described negotiated contract terms with Waldo County, including a revised monthly payment schedule and a 90‑day notice requirement tied to a personnel transition. The administrator said the parties had sought a schedule closer to $7,000 per month but reported the negotiated arrangement in the record as a reduced monthly schedule for the term; the meeting transcript contains inconsistent numeric text for those monthly figures and the precise monthly dollar amounts are not specified in the meeting record excerpt.

On the Guardian system, staff told commissioners the technology would allow corrections officers to scan an inmate’s card and match the image against the person at the cell front and automatically produce daily reports that document required checks. “It allows the corrections officers to have electronic device and it allows every inmate to have a… scan cards that you use to get into the building,” the administrator said during the discussion. Supporters said the system could reduce missed checks and produce audit logs that help defend against litigation alleging inadequate supervision.

Commissioners asked whether prepaying the three‑year service contract would produce a discount and how the county would reflect the expenditure in future budgets. Staff said the vendor offered a discount for prepayment; the total cost was read into the record as a garbled figure reported in the transcript as “57,1267.” Because the transcript is unclear at that line, the precise total in the official contract should be confirmed in the county contract documents or the county clerk’s office before publication.

The board approved the Waldo County agreement (Resolution 26101) and the prepayment (Resolution 26102) as recorded in the meeting minutes. Commissioners said they support the operational benefits but asked that staff account for the multi‑year expense in future budgets so the service cost is visible in subsequent fiscal years.

The administrator said the sheriff and corrections staff support the change in jail operations and that the Guardian system had been recommended by other jurisdictions that had used it. The matter will proceed to execution of the contract as documented in meeting records.