Item:
Title
Approval of Budget Ordinance Amendment 26BCC048 Appropriating $212,138 of General Fund Fund Balance to Court Facilities to Support Courtroom Upgrades for Remote Proceedings
Body
Date of BOCC Meeting: January 12, 2026
Request for Board Action:
Agenda Text
The Board is requested to approve Budget Ordinance Amendment 26BCC048 appropriating $212,138 of General Fund fund balance to Court Facilities to support courtroom upgrades for remote proceedings. In 2021, state law (G.S. 7A-49.6) expanded courts' authority to conduct remote proceedings via audio and video transmission. In support of this new capability, the NC Administrative Office of the Courts (NCAOC) contracted with ePlus Technology to provide AV equipment as part of the CRAVE (Courtroom Audio Visual Experience) project. This contract was recently renewed and extends through July 2027, with a one-year term and two one-year extension options available. Under this arrangement, the NCAOC has already funded baseline AV equipment for specified courtrooms across the state.
The County will purchase additional AV equipment beyond what the NCAOC has provided. To facilitate this, the County will provide funds to the NCAOC, which will then purchase the equipment from ePlus on the county's behalf. All equipment must be compatible with Cisco WebEx, which is the NCAOC-approved platform for conducting remote court proceedings. This investment will reduce courthouse foot traffic and decrease the need for physical courtroom space, while also helping the County meet its legal obligation to provide adequate court facilities under G.S. ? 7A-302 and 7A-304.
Alignment with Strategic Plan: This item aligns with Durham County's Strategic Goal: Safe and Resilient Community
Resource Persons: Greg Marrow, Chief Information Officer; Aaron Stone, Assistant Director of Information Technology; and Dwane Brinson, Assistant County Manager
County Manager's Recommendation: The County Manager recommends that the Board ap...
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