Commissioners to proceed with prison population assessment
The Fayette County commissioners will proceed with a South Carolina firm to conduct a population assessment of the county inmates.
On Thursday, Commissioners Vincent Vicites and Dave Lohr hired the planning organization CGL Companies Of Columbia for $50,030.
Commissioner Angela Zimmerlink voted against the motion.
The firm was one of three bidders to conduct population analysis to come up with a figure of what future prison needs are going to be for the next 20 years.
“They’re going to forecast what the prison population will be,” Vicites said.
A similar study was conducted in 2012 as the then-county administration prepared to construct a new prison in Dunbar Township. The project was later scuttled.
That study, completed by Crabtree Rohrbaugh and Associates of Mechanicsburg and RW Sleighter Engineering of Lemont Furnace, concluded that based on past population figures and trends, the estimated county jail population in 2037 would be 480.
Crabtree Rohrbaugh and Associates and Buchart Horn Inc. of York, Pa., were the other two companies considered with bids at approximately $40,000 and approximately $30,000 respectively.
Vanderbilt resident Jerrie Mazza questioned the need of the study, stating the county has thrown away money on studies for the prison in the past that have gone nowhere.
Vicites said the 2012 study was not accurate, and he believes 480 beds were too many as there’s currently 320 beds in the Fayette County Prison,. Vicites said he wants an accurate number before investing in a new prison because if the numbers are flawed, it could end up costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars to correct.
In an unrelated matter, the commissioners voted to accept a change order to add approximately 600 square feet of roofing at the prison to tear off the old roofing down to the metal deck and installing new roofing at a cost of $27,500.
Jeri Lowe of Indian Head, who has criticized the conditions and operations of the county lockup in the past, said she feels like progress is being made.
Vicites said the prison should have been maintained in the past, but the commissioners are trying to address the issue. He said he is hopeful the acquisition of the vacant U.S. Army Reserve Center of McClellantown Road, on over six acres of land, would be a great location for a facility for prison-related use.
In other business, the commissioners:
n Heard from Vietnam Veteran Donnie Coleman of Lemont Furnace, who took issue upon reading that a resident voiced concerns in October about prayers being conducted before the start of the commissioners meetings.
The commissioners stated there was miscommunication and that Jeffrey Phillips’ concern was to make sure the prayer would be generic and include all denominations.
The commissioners assured the group of veterans and church members that they will continue to have a verbal or silent prayer before ever meeting.
n Voted unanimously to approve advertising for bids for repairs to the county’s Public Service Building as well as the skylight and bell tower of the Fayette County Courthouse Annex Office Building.
n Unanimously voted to approve the purchase of 30,240 flags in the amount of $19,353 at 64 cents each, purchased 580 grave markers at $3,770 at $6.50 each and approved the submission of a $15,000 grant for Veterans Affairs and Veterans Court for outreach material, supervision costs and incentives.
n Reminded anyone interested in submitting a letter of interest to serve on any county board to do so by Dec. 9 and send the letter to Attn: Joe Ambrose, Fayette County Courthouse, 61 East Main Street, Uniontown, PA 15401.
n Announced they will have a special meeting at a time to be determined on Nov. 23 in the conference room at the commissioners’ office for proposing the next budget and for any other issues.