News

County Board approves emergency jail work

Posted November 05, 2015 10:00 pm

By Pete Spitler Staff Writer

Randolph County Jail is getting some desperately-needed attention.

The County Board approved $65,809 in emergency repairs to the facility, which has previously been identified as having faulty jail doors and plumbing, during its regular session meeting on Friday.

Sheriff Shannon Wolff told the commissioners that the 45-bed jail had been reduced to 29 useable beds because of the problems. The jail had a population of 35 inmates as of Friday, with some of those having to sleep on the floor of the cells due to overcrowding.

Wolff noted the inmates are segregated based upon gender, the severity of their alleged offense (felonies/misdemeanors) and whether or not they pose a behavior risk.

The repairs are considerably below the previous estimate of $500,000, which came from the company that originally installed the jail doors. The new locks will be magnetic, with a battery backup system.

"We were using them with the manual failsafe, but that quit working," Wolff said.

Dynamic Controls will be provide the locking system for $49,859, while electrical and install costs will run $15,950.

"We can't have inmates in cells where the doors don't open," said Wolff, who noted that the current situation poses a health and safety risk.

MC Electric is the contractor for the electrical work, while Griggs Metal Art and Fabrication will construct the door hardware.

"(Griggs) will have to come in and fabricate the housing and then mass produce them," Wolff said.

Sparta-based Plumbing Solutions is handling the plumbing portion of the project.

"Chief Deputy Jarrod Peters did a lot of work on this to make it happen," Wolff said.

Quadrant Designs Architect Michael Schneider, who was in attendance at the meeting, said even if the magnetic system and battery backup failed, the inmates would get no farther than the common area inside the jail.

The main doors are operated on a different system.

"There's no chance of escape if (the magnets) did fail," Wolff said.

Board Chairman Marc Kiehna asked Wolff if the magnets would be strong enough to prevent inmates from forcing the door open.

"I think they would have to be able to pull 2,000 pounds," Wolff said.

Commissioner David Holder, who is the budget director for the board, said the cost of the project will be split over two fiscal years - with half of the cost of the magnetic system to be paid this fiscal year.

As its other agenda item, the board heard comment and discussed an appeal from Dave Brooks concerning a proposed retail gun shop at 7828 State Route 4 south of Sparta.

Brooks' request to for a variance on the 0.32 acre site, which is owned by Brooks' parents, had been previously tabled several times by the Zoning Board of Appeals before finally being rejected in a 4-3 vote.

During discussion, Brooks - who is a law enforcement instructor at the Career Center of Southern Illinois - stated that he intends to convert a portion of a pole barn on the property into an establishment for firearms and accessories, while using the remainder of the building for storage.

"It won't be a Gander Mountain by any stretch of the imagination," he said.

Brooks was adamant that the site will not have a gun range, the possibility of which, he noted, caused some concerns from neighboring property owners.

Evansville Mayor Craig Valleroy spoke in support of Brooks, who is also Evansville's chief of police.

"I think the county can use more businesses and I think it would be really good for the county," he said.

After the commissioners determined that Brooks would need a special use permit rather than a variance, discussion turned to restroom facilities and whether the site is large enough to support a septic system.

Randolph County Health Department Administrator Tom Smith said the minimum requirement is a 750-gallon tank with a 200-square-foot seepage field. He noted that the septic system would need to be verified as installed by a licensed contractor.

Speaking in opposition to the proposal was Charlie Cowell, who stated he was concerned about the gun shop devaluing his property by having a retail business nearby.

"We don't want businesses out there with traffic," he said.

Commissioner Ronnie White also raised concerns about parking and exterior lighting. Kiehna inquired about whether the special use permit would "travel" with the property if it is sold.

The commissioners agreed to table the appeal so that Brooks could compile more information to be brought back to the board at a later date.

Public Comment

• Randolph County Economic Development Coordinator Chris Martin reported the new county website will launch on Nov. 15.

The new website will have plenty of links and photos and will allow residents to access important documents and even pay certain bills online.

"It's about not having to drive down here from Coulterville to look at a document," he said.

Martin also encouraged the commissioners to check out the new website for the Kaskaskia-Cahokia Trail at www.kctrailillinois.org.

Highway Dept.

• County Engineer Michael Riebeling reported that bids have been received on the Riverview Drive project near The Material Works (TMW) between Baldwin and Red Bud.

The road is part of the access road to the Kaskaskia River Port District.

Red Dot Construction and Equipment Rentals was the lowest of seven bidders at $267,862.30. The bid was 19.7 percent lower than the engineer's estimate of $333,405.

The other six bidders all submitted bids above the engineer's estimate.

Riebeling said bids were opened Thursday for the water line expansion project, which is needed for not only Gateway FS's fertilizer facility expansion (which is currently under construction), but also future growth at KRPD.

"I'm not going to say we lost projects because of it, but we were out of the running because we didn't have a potable water supply," Martin said.

Roundup

• General assistance for the period was $1,600.

• The Randolph County Care Center was reported to have 64 residents.

• Lynette Jalivay was appointed to the Sparta Community Hospital Board to replace a woman who was retiring. Jalivay is filling the vacancy expiring June 30, 2018.

• Randolph County Treasurer Justin Jeffers reported on the county's recent tax sale. A total of 266 parcels were sold in 32 minutes, netting around $200,000.

• The next meeting of the County Board is scheduled for Nov. 20 at 9 a.m. It is open to the public.

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