Commissioners To Discuss, Consider Interlocal Agreement With Travis County For Inmate Housing, New Video Equipment

Staff Reports

On Tuesday, Hays County Commissioners will discuss and consider authorizing the Hays County Judge to execute an interlocal cooperation agreement between Hays County and Travis County for inmate housing and care and to execute a contract with Visionality for “audiovisual” improvements to the courtroom.

According to the agenda, the interlocal agreement will be utilized for the overflow of Hays County inmates.

Travis County will provide detention services for inmates when Hays County does not have the capacity to incarcerate prisoners.

The agreement states Travis County will take inmates who are 18-years-old or older, in good general health, stabilized mental health and have not had a serious institutional behavior history in the last 90 days.  

According to the agreement, Travis County will accept no more than 50 inmates from Hays County for $3,500 per day; there will not be a “cost differential dependent on the number of inmates.”

The agenda states Visionality will replace the failing “audiovisual system” in the Hays County Courtroom, which is nearly 20 years old. The more modern equipment will include feedback mitigation amplifiers.

According to the agenda, the services will improve the sound quality in the courtroom and on tape, as well as the picture quality of the streamed proceedings; It will also simplify and automate AV presentations, and provide for a growing citizenry by preparing the county to support more frequent overflow audiences.

The amount required for the new equipment and installation is estimated at $42,009.66.

Hays County Commissioners Court will convene at 9 AM Tuesday morning in the Commissioners Courtroom on the 3^rd floor of the Historic Courthouse.