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Security sought

Ward County looks to improve security

Jill Schramm/MDN Ward County’s open-door practices at the county administrative building have raised security concerns.

Ward County plans to bring in a locksmith for advice in improving the security of its administrative building.

On Thursday, the Ward County Commission discussed various security issues identified since county offices moved into the building about a year ago. They included the lack of controlled access to Social Services and building access during hours when many offices are closed.

The commission rejected a couple of suggestions that came out of previous discussion and internal reviews to instead seek out expert advice. Commissioner Alan Walter proposed contacting a locksmith after raising concern over a building design that has led to some of the issues.

“Something is wrong with the way this was set up,” he said. “The whole system is screwed up, in my mind.”

One security concern is related to the extended hours of the Ward County Library during evenings and Saturdays. The library has no separate entrance, so the main door of the administrative building is open, giving access to other parts of the building.

Library Director Kerrianne Tyler reported on options identified by a committee review. She and building supervisor Leona Lochthowe recommended roping off the elevator and stairs during hours when the library is open but other offices are closed. Most other offices are locked, but the concern is that members of the public who are unaware offices are closed or transients who take shelter in the building will wander through the building’s upper levels.

The county’s efforts to secure the building are complicated by the need to ensure staff still have access when doing work after hours. The commission decided to leave the situation as it is for now.

The Social Service department also would like to have more secure doors into its department so the public cannot walk into office areas without authorization. The doors cannot be locked, with buzzer access only, due to fire code rules that forbid an elevator from being the only access. To access the third-floor stairwell, the public must go through the doors to Social Services.

The county obtained a $10,231 bid to install doors with a 30-second delay, which Social Service Director Melissa Bliss said would not stop people from trying to enter but would alert staff so unauthorized access can be interrupted. The commission rejected the bid, preferring to explore other options that Bliss suggested might exist.

A third issue is that the building’s entrance has been unlocked early in the morning before offices open, allowing the public to enter despite not being able to do business during those early hours. The commission voted to set the building’s normal hours at 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The commission also voted to work with its architect to address continued issues with inadequate soundproofing of a new juvenile courtroom in the lower level of the Courthouse.

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