Opening of Fayette prison annex delayed
The Fayette County Prison Board heard Wednesday that unless an extra $20,000 to $25,000 is spent for necessary items on the prison annex, it can’t be opened. “We’re coming down to the finish line and we’re stopped,” said Warden Larry Medlock. Among the items that must be completed prior to opening is the installation of electric locks, the construction of a fence around the entire perimeter and the installation of a gas line.
Although it was unclear how the specifications for a prison annex ended up being approved without a fence and electric locks on the outside, it was clear that the fence and the other items are necessary.
“I wouldn’t want to see a million-dollar building with a padlock on the front,” Medlock said. “Things were cut out of the contract that we are fighting to get back in.”
The 80-bed annex was initially slated to open May 1 and the date was later pushed back another month to June 1.
A frustrated Medlock said Wednesday that he wouldn’t attempt a guess at another projected opening date, other than to say it would happen when the locks come in and they get the fences up. County commissioner Sean M. Cavanagh, who toured the site with Medlock on Tuesday, gave a projected date of June 16.
Medlock said Tuesday they also learned that a $1,500 gas line must be put in for a dryer at the site after they learned that the electric line was incompatible.
He said that county manager Warren Hughes sent a letter out that the county is not responsible for the additional costs associated with putting in the gas line. He said they will likely start painting the floor by the end of the week.
When Judge John F. Wagner asked if the electric locks were part of the standard plans, Sheriff Gary Brownfield suggested a meeting with the architect and contractor. Controller Mark Roberts also asked how specifications could be approved without a fence. Medlock said they originally talked about putting a fence all around the perimeter.
Michael S. Molar is the architect for the project. The project was initially estimated by Molnar to cost $600,000, but change orders have forced the cost up to the $700,000 range.
Cavanagh said they need to meet with the solicitor and the general contractor. Although commission chairman Vincent A. Vicites said they had to decide if they will do the work, Cavanagh said, “whatever it takes we have to get it done.”
Vicites pointed out that they are over budget on the project and way over the time frame. He said they are continuing to send prisoners out of the county while the project drags on.
Brownfield said with 40 prisoners being housed outside the county, it is costing $48,000 a month. “It’s costing $1,600 a day because somebody screwed up,” he said.
In anticipation of the annex opening, the board approved a motion to make recommendation to the county commissioners to contract out the food service duties for the prison to Nutrition Inc. Meals will cost $1.289 each for 200 inmates under the contract. The other bidder, Aramark, gave a cost of $1.303 per meal. The prison has 206 inmates, 179 in-house and the remaining 27 at other institutions.
Deputy warden of inmate affairs John Walton said the meals were bid on a sliding scale up to 300 inmates. “The more you feed, the cheaper it is,” he said.
The two cooks who currently work for the prison will become employees of the food service provider.
Walton said Nutrition Inc. gave them a raise in salary and benefits. He said they spend a tremendous amount of time with food delivery that would be better spent. Walton said they asked Nutrition Inc. to bid on the same menu. When the company sets up shop, three additional employees will be hired.
When the issue of screening employees came up, Medlock said they will do security checks similar to the ones done on the medical providers who come into the prison.
The initial costs will be more than doing the food service in-house but costs go down as the number of inmates increase. Currently, it costs $3.60 per day to feed the inmates and it will cost $3.86 per day using Nutrition Inc. Medlock said Nutrition Inc. will buy the supplies that they have already purchased to start up the program.
In personnel items, the prison board accepted the resignation of Barbara A. Furlong. In her letter, Furlong wrote that her employment over the past seven years was both challenging and rewarding. Medlock said she retired to Florida.
The board voted to move Robin Fagan of Uniontown from part-time to full time status and voted to hire Jessica Lynn Dahlgren of Fairchance as a part-time employee.
Following a 10-minute executive session, the prison board voted not to accept an offer to pay $10,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by an inmate who suffered a broken jaw in 1997 and is suing the county.
Vicites said they don’t want to start setting a precedent by paying inmates who are injured. Brownfield said fights break out every day at the prison and they should not be paying somebody who got hit.
“Whoever broke his jaw should be sued, not the county,” Brownfield said.
Vicites said if they settle every inmate will want to be paid.
“It will be a never-ending saga,” Brownfield said.
Cavanagh said that the settlement offer asked for a response by 4 p.m. Wednesday and they have no advice from legal counsel.