Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
ISSD seeks $304,530 to finish jail Wi‑Fi upgrade; fund may be depleted in 2026
Summary
Hamilton County IT Director Chris Mertens reported wiring and initial equipment deliveries have reduced the Non‑Reverting Fund request for jail Wi‑Fi upgrades to $304,530 and warned the county’s Non‑Reverting Fund may be exhausted in 2026; Councilor Amy Massillamany urged planning to request replenishment in the 2027 budget.
Chris Mertens, Hamilton County IT Director, told the Information Services and Systems Board on Jan. 13 that work to update Wi‑Fi access points at the county jail complex is underway and that wiring was paid from the 2025 budget. That shift reduced the planned request to the Non‑Reverting Fund to $304,530.
Mertens said some equipment deliveries have begun and confirmed the upgrade will cause short, coordinated periods of downtime. He agreed to provide advance notice to the Hamilton County Bar Association so attorneys can avoid disrupting attorney‑client communications during the changes.
Mertens also warned the board that the Non‑Reverting Fund is likely to be depleted in 2026 because multiple projects have drawn from it. County Councilor Amy Massillamany recommended the administration plan to request replenishment of the fund during the 2027 budget hearings.
Board members discussed technical coordination: the Wi‑Fi upgrade will integrate with the sheriff’s RFID monitoring initiative to improve connectivity and security at the jail complex. No formal vote or dollar appropriation was recorded in the meeting minutes; the minutes list the $304,530 figure as the amount to be requested from the Non‑Reverting Fund.
The board recorded two follow‑up tasks tied to the Wi‑Fi work: (1) provide at least one week’s notice to the Hamilton County Bar Association before downtime (assigned to Chris Mertens and Court Administration); and (2) request Non‑Reverting Fund replenishment during 2027 budget hearings (assigned to Chris Mertens).
