Sheriff seeks funds for computers, jailers
HUNTSVILLE — For the better part of an hour here Monday night, Scott County Sheriff Anthony Lay tried to convince members of County Commission’s Emergency Service Committee of his need for increased funding for manpower and equipment in advance of the August opening of the new jail facility in the Scott County Justice Center.
Sheriff Lay, who appeared before the committee with his Chief Deputy Bobby Ellis and Capt. Tommy Jeffers, said he needed 11 new jailers (in addition to the 15 already on staff), as well as almost $73,000 for new computer equipment.
Lay pledged: “We’re going to make a profit” by housing state prisoners, for which the county will be reimbursed $35 per day for each inmate.
He provided County Mayor Rick Keeton with a list showing the funds that could be generated for housing state prisoners in the new facility, which ranged from $127,750 a year for 10 inmates, to $766,500 a year for 60 inmates.
“If you tell me I can’t make money, I’ll tell you different,” Sheriff Lay said in response to a statement made by Commissioner Ernest Phillips.
Additional money could be made, Sheriff Lay stated, by allowing jail personnel to have their own kitchen to cook food for the inmates.
“If you want to save money, let’s cook food,” Sheriff Lay stated, adding that he could do it for less cost than the frozen dinners currently being used to feed jail inmates.
After insisting that: 1) he needed to know a date certain for the move, and 2) if he could begin the hiring process for new jailers, County Mayor Keeton responded “August 1st” to the first inquiry, and Budget Committee Chairman Jeff Watson answered the second question by stating: “You can’t hire people without funding in place.”
Watson also informed the sheriff that there would not be “a full house on day one,” and he needed to hire personnel accordingly.
“You’re going to be surprised how fast this jail will fill up,” Sheriff Lay responded.
Sheriff Lay also mentioned the need for mattresses for the inmate’s beds, as well as inmate uniforms — which he needed to order in advance of the move to the new facility.
Just minutes later, Watson said “If we knew that we could project 50 prisoners” (and be assured of $500,000 a year in income), then it would be simple to make that projection in the budget.
“How about if I give you my word we’ll have 50 state prisoners?” the Sheriff asked.
“How about you write us a check,” responded Watson.
Earlier in the meeting Sheriff Lay suggested that inmate book-in fees and charging inmates for medicines could be used to offset some of the expenditures associated with the move to the new jail facility.
That led to a motion by Watson asking County Attorney John Beaty to look into the possibility of imposing new fees for housing inmates — a motion which carried by an all-aye vote of the committee.
In other business during Monday’s three-hour committee work session:
• The Community Development Committee approved a $250 board sponsorship for the upcoming Scott County Auction-Telethon, which this year will benefit the county’s nine volunteer fire departments;
• The Community Development Committee also voted to prepare a resolution in opposition to state legislation mandating action by county commissions without providing funding to implement new programs;
• That committee also voted to develop a request for proposals for the pre-application process in seeking an $80,000 Economic Community Development grant aimed at identifying and promoting Scott County’s outdoor adventure opportunities for tourists. That came after hearing a report by Brian Strunk and Rick Russell, both from the Barge, Wagoner, Sumner and Cannon consulting engineering firm in Knoxville;
• The Building and Grounds Committee voted to award a bid of $47,250 to Miller & Sons for paving an employee’s parking lot and 12-ft. wide roadway at the Scott County Justice Center;
• That committee also approved and passed on to the full commission a proposed lease of the old Capitol Hill school building to the Scott-Morgan Project to develop and operate a homeless shelter;
• The Intergovernmental Committee approved a series of state grants and/or contracts for the 2008-09 fiscal year (for the operation of the Juvenile Detention Center, Health Department, partial funding for the Youth Services Officer; and the Workforce Network Office administered by the East Tennessee Human Resources Agency).