New equipment coming to Register of Deeds office
It?s taken a couple of years for PI County Register of Deeds Janet Lamb to convince all of the members of the Presque Isle County Board of Commissioners to acquire new recording equipment. She finally received approval to lease imaging equipment at last Friday?s county board meeting. On its way out will be a camera and developing equipment which were purchased more than 30 years ago. The camera was bought by the county in December 1970 for $4,237, but eventually needed to be replaced.
Parts were getting more and more difficult to find and the repairman was a 65-year-old businessman from Holland, Michigan. The county had a service contract for $1,800 a year, which now won?t be needed.
THE COMMISSIONERS approved a five-year lease at $2,375 a month with ACS of Syracuse, New York. There will be a one-time conversion fee of $5,000. Lamb, after looking at other units in other Michigan counties, believed ACS had the best system. The decision by the commissioners was made easier after they established a technology fund in March; it should make the system self-supporting.
Treasurer Pat Cornett said, as of Friday morning, the fund was at $16,000 after only four-and-a-half months.
?That?s obtained by getting $5 per document for the updating of any computer system, or anything technology-wise from my office,? said Lamb. ?That money is to be used strictly for that.? ACS preferred a lease, as opposed to the county purchasing the equipment. As a part of the lease, ACS will provide needed equipment upgrades and will handle repairs.
THE EQUIPMENT also will reduce the cost of developing chemicals and film. Lamb said her office has purchased $600 worth of film since January. There was a time when it took a month to use up a roll of film; now her office goes through one a week.
?Ever since I?ve been on the board, Janet?s been talking about this,? said chairman Allan Bruder. ?A long time ago, we got to the point where we didn?t think we could find a way to make the repairs.
?It?s outdated by about 40 years. It was still working and she was frugal enough to make it work. I think it?s about time we try something different,? Bruder added. The new system will image and automatically put the time on the document. A disc will be burned every two weeks and back-up of the system will be performed daily to keep records secure.
THE ACS SYSTEM is in effect in Montmorency and Alcona counties. ?I was strongly opposed to this system last year when it came to budget time, and I think there were three questions that I wanted answered before I would change my mind,? said District 1 commissioner Bob Schell. Schell wanted to know if the system would result in a benefit to taxpayers, reduce workload in the register of deeds office, and increase revenues to the county.
?You satisfied my concerns,? said Schell, before the board gave its approval. Installation won?t begin until the first of the year.
IN OTHER matters to come before the board: County Development Commission director Mary Ann Heidemann received approval for a change order as a part of the reconstruction project at the Presque Isle County airport in Rogers City.
The first item was for additional fencing at both ends of the runway ?at the unit price that was in the bid contract, at $8.25 a lineal foot. Which is a very good price,? said Heidemann. ?It was estimated at $15 a lineal foot.? A beacon base will be constructed and additional clearing will be provided for automated weather equipment.
The entire cost of the change order was $47,960, which Heidemann said was covered within contingencies and doesn?t cha
The land is two-tenths of an acre and was intended to provide a clear area for motorists to see a train coming. The railroad grade is now a snowmobile trail. MDOT is willing to unload the small parcel but was only giving units of government 30 days to respond. ?It is very important to keep it,? said Heidemann. ?It?s important to keep it in the public?s hands.? The board will express its strong interest in the property.