- Commissioners will allow budgeted money for use in critical items at the Juab County Jail
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By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
Needed repairs at the county jail need to be completed soon.
There is money in the budget for some of the items, but not if the leftover budget is preempted for use in other places as Juab County Commissioners begin the work of balancing the budget for the past year and coming up with a budget for the coming year.
“We have held off spending the budgeted money in case we needed the funds for an emergency,” said Alden Orme, Juab County Sheriff.
After hearing the proposals being made by Orme, commissioners agreed to allow the budget expenditures of some of the critical items.
One issue is some necessary plumbing repairs, he said.
When a jail cell has an unusable toilet or sink, the cell cannot be used at all. Those two items must be in working order.
Local plumber, Chris Wilkey, has agreed to do the work of installation but the stainless steel bathroom items are very expensive to purchase. Just one cell costs $3,137 for the toilet and washbasin. That is just the cost of the two fixtures and does not include the cost of installation.
There are several cells which need the new fixtures so they can be used to hold inmates.
Commissioners indicated they would approve the plumbing repairs. They also approved the installation of a storage container which is 40-feet by 10-feet.
The jail also needed some storage space, said Orme. One way to address that need would be to obtain a metal building of the type used by trucking companies to haul goods.
The storage container will cost the county $4,725 and will be hauled to the county and placed on a gravel pad.
“Bob Garrett (county road supervisor), has been working with us to help us get the pad ready,” said Orme.
The container will have a semi-door, a man door and a roll up door. It will be painted to match the building.
Currently the items which will be stored there are being kept in the port where prisoners are brought into the jail inside police vehicles. He said that inspectors, who determine the conditions which should be met by jails, do not approve of the inmates being brought to the jail through an area which has items stored there.
“The inspectors do not want storage in an area where we bring prisoners in,” said Orme.
Another issue is the carpeting in the office area—it is old, rippled and unsightly.
“The carpeting in the office area is about 17-years old,” said Orme. “It is past time to have it replaced.”
The recarpeting project will cost about $10,000 for the new carpet. Inmates can assist with the tearing up of the old carpet.
“A good grade of commercial carpeting can cost about $30 per yard so it sounds like a good deal,” said Val Jones, commission chairman.
Another area needing refurbishing is the kitchen, said Orme.
He said that jails were built with a 30-year life in mind.
Equipment such as ranges, dishwashers and refrigerators, for example, had a much shorter life. After 15-years, much of the equipment in the kitchen needed replacement.
The county jail has needed the new equipment for a few years, he said.
The kitchen range does not work well and, in fact, is dangerous.
Likewise, the dishwasher does not pass inspection because it does not meet the health standards for temperature.
Garbage disposals and the ice machine were also in need of replacement.
He would like to install a gas range but had not yet finalized that.
“We can lease the dishwasher for $70 per month,” said Orme.
A new dishwasher would cost approximately $8,000 for the type a facility such as the jail would be required to buy. Leasing would end up saving money because it can be updated when needed.
The outside of the building also needed to be painted at the back of the facility.
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