To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Gini Pingenot, Open Spaces Director, Open Spaces Department, Glen Poole, Operations Manager, Open Spaces Department
Prepared By:
prepared
Dan Payson, Open Space, Parks, and Trails Manager, Matt Bixenman, Fairgrounds Site Manager end
presenter
Presenter: Dan Payson, Open Space, Parks, and Trails Manager, Matt Bixenman, Fairgrounds Site Manager
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Subject:
title
Fixed Asset Number for Fairgrounds Buildings and 17 Mile House Security Systemend
Purpose and Request:
recommended action
The Fairgrounds Site Manager and the Open Space, Parks, and Trails Manager are requesting approval from the Board of County Commissioners for the assignment of an asset number to support the purchase of security system hardware and cameras for the Fairgrounds Event Center business office, the Fairgrounds Maintenance Shop, the Open Spaces Maintenance Shop, and the 17 Mile House. This security equipment purchase will enhance safety, improve facility monitoring, and ensure consistent security standards across Fairgrounds campus buildings and at the 17 Mile House.
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Alignment with Strategic Plan: Good Governance - Leverage technology to improve governance and service delivery.
Background and Discussion: The Fairgrounds Event Center, the Open Space Maintenance Shop, and the 17 Mile house are significant public buildings which house valuable Open Space Department assets, equipment, and vehicles. The Operations Division experienced a break in at both the Fairgrounds Event Center and the Open Space Maintenance Shop in late December of 2025. This incident resulted in the loss of equipment and vehicles.
The Operations Division leadership team met with the Arapahoe County Sherrif’s Office Community Resources Crime Prevention Unit and the Department’s security systems contractor in early January 2026 after the burglary to tour the sites and review current building security systems. These meetings resulted in the development of recommendations for the installation of new security hardware and camera systems.
The Department subsequently solicited and received proposals for security enhancements which included recommendations for updated camera systems, additional window / door sensors, and remote monitoring capabilities. These security upgrades address gaps in current camera coverage, improve incident response/verification, and ensure alignment with County safety and security standards.
The Purchasing Department has indicated their support of a purchasing waiver to allow Open Space Department to utilize the County’s security system vendor, Security Central, for security system hardware, installation, and monitoring. At a future meeting, the Open Spaces Department will provide the Board of County Commissioners a full report and update on the new security system, additional security enhancements and intentional work to improve the culture of vigilance needed to keep teammates safe and protect county assets from bad actors.
Alternatives: Continue with Existing Systems: This option utilizes current operational and building security systems but leaves gaps in camera coverage and relies on current limited hardware and its associated limited building/site monitoring and protection capabilities.
Install Partial Upgrades: This reduces upfront hardware costs but fails to achieve staff’s goal of full site security coverage and asset protection. Under this option, staff will rely on limited security improvements and potentially requiring additional future requests to address ongoing building and site security needs.
Delay the project: Postpone the upgrading and addition of security hardware systems. This alternative will increase break-in risk exposure, prolongs the use of aging equipment, and may lead to higher replacement and service costs in the future.
Fiscal Impact: The security vendors’ proposal to provide and install building and site security hardware / systems are in line with the current market. The vendor proposals were approximately $18,935 for the Fairgrounds Office, $20,000 Open Space Maintenance Shop, and $22,000 for the 17 Mile House depending on project scope. Monitoring services, based on submitted proposal, include recurring monthly charges for camera support and alarm monitoring. Detailed costs will be finalized upon BOCC approval and assignment of an asset number, after which Purchasing can process the waiver and generate the associated Purchase Order.
Alignment with Strategic Implementation Strategies: N/A
Staff Recommendation: Open Spaces Department recommends approval of an asset number which is necessary to ultimately acquire and install the Department’s needed site security systems and upgrades.
Concurrence: The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office concurs with Open Space staff’s recommendation to install the full-site security systems and upgrades.