When the Blaine County Commissioners met Tuesday, they had to deal with an unusual situation, what to do with all that money. Usually governments are seeking ways to curtail expenses, but the commission has until Dec. 31 to basically decide where to stow $1.8 million in ARPA – American Rescue Plan Act – funds.
The various department heads had some ideas that would fit the parameters of the funding and some would benefit the entire staff.
For instance, Sheriff Travis Daugherty suggested a high tech scanner through which all visitors to the courthouse would pass. It would be placed in the first-floor hallway. The scanner would determine whether the visitor was carrying any impermissible items that could possibly used as a weapon.
“The No. 1 thing is knowing they don’t have a weapon on them,” he said. From the scanner, the visitor would log in, presenting ID in exchange for a badge, similar to a hotel room key. That badge would only allow the visitor to access the offices he/she had requested to visit while checking in.
Each office would have an electronic lock – again, think of a hotel room and only those with authorized badges would be able to access that office. If a visitor needed to go to more than one office – perhaps the court clerk and the district attorney’s office – those could be coded into the badge, the same way a hotel can allow access to the lobby and a room.
Keeping the courthouse secure has long been an issue. There are multiple entry points and it is possible to access the various floors without being seen from other offices.
Plans to limit access to a single entry point have gone nowhere.
Daugherty did not have exact figures on the cost of the system but a vendor was planning a Thursday visit.
“It is bound to be cheaper than building a entry structure though,” he added.
Other ideas for the money included additional cruisers for the sheriff’s office, and allocations to the emergency management office and the county fire departments.
The county has been told by District Attorney Tommy Humphries that it might be best to transfer the funds to the general fund, then the departments can bring their ideas for funding to the commission so that those ideas can be vetted to make sure the funds are spent properly.
In other business the commissioners agreed to a contract with Pioneer to provide internet to the nearly-completed county jail. Still to be determined is whether the server will reside in the courthouse or the jail. The one time cost for installation is $786.42. The existing broadband width the county has should be enough for both buildings, but more could be added down the road should the need arise.
The commissioners are working on a resolution that establishes salaries for the elected officials. The base salary is the same for all elected officials, at $49,000. The additions to that base are set by information from the county excise board and the most current census numbers.
“We just have to make sure we get these numbers right,” Commissioner Tracy Matli said. The formula used to determine the add-ons was created by Oklahoma State University and is complicated.
Matli suggested and the other commissioners agreed that the matter be tabled until next week when the formula has been worked out satisfactorily.
The Blaine County Commission meets at 9 a.m. each Monday save holidays at the courthouse on Weigle Avenue in Watonga.