COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – With the scheduled opening of a new Branch County Jail still two years away, county officials are dealing with ongoing maintenance issues in the current facility.
The Branch County Board of Commissioners during their work session Thursday directed County Administrator Bud Norman to put together a Request for Proposals so that an engineering firm could figure out a cost estimate on fixing the water distribution problems, the current boiler, and problems with the doors and locks in the jail.
Commissioner Don Vrablic felt bringing in an engineering firm would be cost effective and that all three areas of concern can be done as one project.
While Commissioner Terri Norris said she did not want to put a lot of money into the old jail, she agreed with Vrablic’s idea.
Norris felt if duct tape holds the old jail together until the new jail is built, “that’s what it is”.
Sheriff John Pollack warned that the duct tape talk was dangerous because the well being of staff and inmates is his department’s responsibility.
He warned they don’t have a back up if the boiler goes down. He added if a pipe freezes again like they did last New Year’s weekend, the jail will be shut down because he does not want to have inmates and staff running around on wet floors with the possibility of an injury taking place.
Norman told commissioners that eight companies were represented during a meeting of potential jail architect candidates Wednesday.
Requests for Qualification proposals are scheduled to be opened October 1, 2018. The goal is to have ground broken and construction on the new jail start in the spring.
