Published: June 10, 2008 10:56 am      

Courts to upgrade recording system

LAGRANGE, Ind. — LaGrange County Council members approved the purchase of a new digital audio recording system for the county circuit and superior courts during Monday’s meeting. The new system will cost $44,790.

Director of Information Technology Bob Murphy said that due to the system’s video conferencing capabilities, the courts would be able to hold arraignments without having to transport inmates from the jail to the courthouse.

This would cut down on gas expenses and man hours, as well as the potential for accidents and security risks, LaGrange County Sheriff Terry Martin said.

Audio quality would be greatly improved as well, Murphy said, which was a concern with the current, 10-year-old system.

“The quality on the (current) recordings is just atrocious,” Murphy said, so bad that some of the recordings would need to be thrown out in appellate courts.

The council voted to pay for the system with money from the riverboat gambling fund.

The council also voted to appropriate to the county jail $15,000 per month from the money it receives for housing Department of Corrections inmates at the county jail.

There are 92 DOC inmates being housed at the LaGrange County Jail, which will earn the county around $1.2 million by the end of the year, Sheriff Martin said. As of now, that money reverts to the county’s general fund.

Martin requested the creation of the new fund in light of certain expenses, including a recent $36,000 upgrade of jail showers as well as the need for a new camera system at the jail.

“We’ve never had this many DOC prisoners,” Martin said. “It makes the county a lot of money. All I’m asking for is $15,000 a month.”

A committee comprised of one county commissioner, one county council member and Sheriff Martin will oversee the new fund.

Mongo Fire Department

The Mongo Fire Department, represented by Pam Soule, member of the fire department board, asked the council to consider purchasing a plot of land adjacent to the fire department.

Soule said that fire officials have been looking for ways to expand the fire station, and that the piece of land now for sale “is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Because the Mongo Fire Department is an independent, not-for-profit organization, it would need help from county officials to purchase the land.

Soule said the department would attempt to raise its own money for the actual building project, which she said could take from five to six years.

The council advised Soule to make a proposal to the Major Moves committee, as well as the county commissioners. If they approved the fire department’s proposal, the council would consider it further.

Commission appointments

The council voted to extend the terms of Bernard Hoffman and Greg Johnson through December.