County approves video link

Hall County will install a video link between its public defender's office and the new jail for legal visits with inmates.

While the link will likely save only about $100 in mileage claims a month, it's expected to save about 52 hours a month of attorney time.

That equates to $1,200 a month that county taxpayers are paying for an attorney to gather up documents, drive to the jail, stand in line for a security check and then drive back.

"It might make sense to gain efficiencies," Supervisor Scott Arnold said Tuesday of installing the video link.

The link will cost about $9,500 because the bulk of the system is already in place. The county already uses a video link between the jail and court for arraignments.

Public Defender Gerard Piccolo said a terminal simply needs to be added to a small unused office in his department at the Hall County Office Building, 117 E. First St., and to a location in the jail.

Both terminals would be connected in what's known as a "dead" system so it would be secure from other users.

Where the terminal will be located in the jail was the only concern County Attorney Mark Young had with the proposal. He said the terminal must be in a private room where other inmates and guards are not present so as not to violate the attorney/client privilege.

Piccolo said jail administration has identified a jail library study room as a place where the terminal could be set up. Piccolo and the jail have also arranged to only use the link for two to three hours in the late afternoon so as not to create a burden on jail staff having to usher inmates to and from the terminal.

Piccolo estimated that he makes about three trips a week to the jail now. Each of his four deputies go about twice. They used to walk the block separating their office and the old jail.

In addition to the drive now required, the jail trips have become more time consuming because of new jail protocol.

"It's not as quick a process as it was before -- you have to be scanned," Piccolo said.

At an average hourly rate of $23 an hour, saving attorney time was important to the board.

"It won't take long to pay for the system," Arnold said.

"The jail population won't get less," Jeffries said. "I think it's a good idea. It's a step forward."

The board voted 6-0 to have the video link installed now.

Initial interviews with inmates and serious issues such as talks about pleas will continue to be done in face-to-face meetings, Piccolo said, but he estimated about half of inmate visits could be done via the video link.

For the record

In other action Tuesday, the county board:

-- Opened bids for heating and air conditioning modifications to be made to the Hall County Courthouse Annex at 121 S. Locust. Snell Services of North Platte bid $1.2 million on the project and $210,933 on alternates. Mid-Plains Construction of Grand Island bid $1.1 million on the project and $183,100 on alternates. A contract is to be awarded in two weeks.

-- Authorized the county's health insurance committee to investigate hiring outside counsel to review health insurance provider bids. The county last bid its health insurance in 1996, when it went self-insured, and is preparing to request proposals from third-party providers later this year.

-- Heard an update on outside-agency inmate contracts. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has given an oral commitment to house 75 inmates in the Hall County jail, however a formal federal contract has not yet been signed.

"Government moves slowly," said board Chairman Bud Jeffries. The county budgeted to receive about $1 million in revenue from housing inmates for other agencies and had hoped to start those contracts Oct. 1.

-- Heard an update on the final completion of the new jail. Jeffries said the county is negotiating with Chief Construction on liquidated damages for not having the jail completed on time. That settlement should be presented to the board in two weeks.

-- Directed Piccolo to negotiate with Howard County to provide public defender services there.

-- Heard an update on providing storage for county offices. Segregation cells in the old jail will be reused as locked storage for the court paperwork and evidence held by district court judges.

-- Added the adoption of the tax rates on the agenda as an emergency item as adoption is mandated by Oct. 15. The rates were approved on a 6-0 vote.