County approves three-year trial contract for jail health-monitoring system

The Beltrami County Board voted to approve a contract to install a Reassurance Solutions health-monitoring system in the county's new jail, with the contract covering three years of service as a pilot. Administrator (S8) told commissioners the capital outlay for the infrastructure could be paid from sales tax funds, but long-term maintenance beyond the three-year trial would have to be absorbed into the county's operating budget.

"The contract was negotiated with the firm to provide 3 years of service since it's a new service for us," Administrator (S8) said, adding that long-term annual maintenance estimates have ranged from about $30,000 to $80,000 per year. Commissioners asked whether the data access could be extended for five years to match the hardware warranty; staff said that long-term maintenance pricing had not been negotiated and that the exclusivity clause that once posed a risk had been removed.

Presenter (S3), who said she participates on a state committee and had case studies, urged the board to consider the technology's potential to detect critical health events between standard visual checks. "We have multiple case studies across the nation of saving lives in between those 15 minute checks that we're required to do," she said. After brief discussion and a motion by Commissioner (S7) with a second from Commissioner (S6), the board approved the contract by voice vote.

The transcript records the motion and the board's affirmative voice vote; the memorandum of understanding and the contract terms should be available in county procurement files for details on warranties, data access, and future maintenance costs.