Public Safety Committee for County talks jail, more ahead of April commission meeting
Nearly $94,000 in renovations has been budgeted for the old section of the Polk County Jail, and if approved by the commission, that money would see 48 cells and 98 beds made available for future and present inmates.
The group is still working to identify other needed renovations, so the numbers are still preliminary. However, the $93,809.36 figure brought to the March 21 meeting did include lighting fixtures, temperature valves, intercom systems, and other parts.
Various companies such as K & A Specialty Parts and CES City Electric have been recruited as vendors, but the county is still searching for a company to jet clean the sewer line and supply mattresses, uniforms, and other bedding. The cleaning and painting of the cells would be the responsibility of the inmates under the current budget.
“You can see we’re up to about $90,000 in identified repairs,” Assistant County Manager Barry Atkison said. “We’re trying to put together a whole project, so these line items will grow some, but I think we’ve identified most.
While space is sometimes an issue at the jail, the committee members mentioned the extra cells could be used to isolate the more violent or misbehaving inmates. Additional staffing costs have yet to be configured, but Atkison assured the group it was being discussed.
Money is also being spent on improving Rockmart’s radio tower, and while company Diversified has been busy with regular updates and minor fixes, the new dual omni antenna system will be their biggest change yet.
Many of the communication issues Rockmart suffers from are caused by the tower’s low height, but Diversified plans to mount the antenna and mast on the water tank at the Rockmart radio site. The new vantage point is expected to prevent any obstructions from trees or building, and Rockmart officials such as Jeff Ellis have reportedly already given their support for the project.
“They (Diversified) corrected some problems this week that were obvious,” Atkison said. “So, I thank Diversified for being pro-active like that and sending feedback. But the Eastside transmission problems we’ve been having in regards to the tank and trees blocking part of the signal- this does address that.”
If approved by the commission, the county would spend $9,992.15 on the job. The parts, counting the antenna itself and all necessary connectors, total $3,639.40; the labor totals $6,353.75.
An assessment of local fire stations was also on the agenda for the meeting, and Atkison shared the document that each station was requested to fill out. The person completing the form is offered a blank space to detail the conditions of various parts of the station such as roof and living area, and the most critical needs are to be listed on the back. Since the document has a completion deadline of April 12, the Public Safety Committee should address the needs of Polk’s firefighters in their next meeting.
The group also spoke on hosting a special meeting to discuss Court House #2 security improvements, so those interested in attending should look out for a potential agenda.