Jail staff tries cutting expenses

The Southeast Kansas Regional Correctional Center in Fort Scott continues to be a topic of discussion for the Bourbon County Commissioners as they continue working through numbers for the FY14 budget.

Bobby Reed, director of security, submitted a $1,193,657 budget request, which reflects a $200,000 increase from last year. On July 29, Commission Chairman Allen Warren suggested staff look at cutting expenses.

On Friday, Reed returned to the commissioners with a report on his idea for cutting down on overtime. Reed had made a decision to change staff work days from 12 hours to eight. The 12-hour days gave employees "built-in" overtime. Reed said since making the announcement to staff members, two employees have quit. Two staff members quit prior to the staff meeting when the announcement was made. Of the four, only one gave a two-week notice, he said. So far only two of them have been replaced, but the county will be advertising to fill the two vacancies. Until Reed can fill those positions, staff will remain on 12-hour shifts, Reed said.

"If I had stayed at the eight-hour shifts, I would have had an estimated 56 hours overtime," Reed said. "

The cost of housing inmates outside the county and transporting them back and forth for court dates has been cited as one of the major expenses for the facility. Reed, along with Undersheriff Bill Martin and Assistant County Attorney Valerie LeBlanc, provided commissioners with a transportation and population report for the facility. As of Friday morning, there were 46 inmates in the county facility and 11 housed outside the county. Those numbers changed after court appearances were made. At the time Reed spoke to the commissioners, there were 43 inmates in the county and 11 outside the county.

Reed said the jail staff and the county attorney's office have been working together to keep transportation and population numbers down.

Another concern expressed by Second Commissioner Barbara Albright is the need for intervention to prevent inmates from returning to the facility after they are released. Friday, the commissioners learned about a drug intervention program that begins inside the jail and continues after inmates are released.

Greg Stine, director of Reformers Unanimous, members of the organization and an individual who went through the program while an inmate explained the organization's work with inmates at the jail.

Those who attend the program while in jail receive certificates, which are redeemed for awards after they are released and attend the Friday meetings, Stine said.

"I feel so strongly about intervention," Albright said. "I think Albert can attest that it's the same people coming back in...they just keep coming back because they can't get things figured out and just get things lined up."

She asked if the accommodations in the jail are adequate for meetings. Stine said the accommodations are working, but meetings are not held if the room is being used to house inmates.

"It's fine. The classroom down there works. The only concern, and it's only happened twice, due to the overcrowding it's being used (by inmates) and we have no where else to go, so we just can't come that week," Stine said. "If that room were being used for housing, then that's OK. Right now it's working great."

Commissioners also heard a presentation from Bryan Falk of BG Construction in Lawrence, which can provide architect services if and when the county decides to build a new facility. Those services include a feasibility study. The county had a feasibility study for a new jail facility completed in 2011, according to Undersheriff Bill Martin. Falk said because of the age of the study, it would have to be redone.

In response to Falk's comment that location is important, Albright said she wondered if counties could share a facility. County Attorney Terri Johnson, who sat in on the presentation, found a state statute that requires each county to have a jail in its county seat.

The commissioners thanked Falk for the presentation, but agreed they are not ready to hire an architect at this time.

In other law enforcement issues, the commissioners voted to accept a bid from City State Bank, which offered the lowest interest rate on a loan to purchase four SUVs and two pickups for the Sheriff's Office. The total loan amount is unknown at this time as the county continues to work out details.

City State Bank submitted a bid of 2.35 percent for a four-year loan and 2.38 percent for a five-year loan. Other bids were received from UMB for 2.5 percent for four years and Union State Bank submitted a bid of 5.3 percent for four years and 5.7 percent for five years.

In other business:

Dwayne Neil appeared to ask for another extension on the deadline for harvesting hay from the Elm Creek Lake, but he got his answer almost before he even got the question out.

On July 29, he was granted an extension on the deadline for having hay mowed, baled and removed from Aug. 1 to Aug. 10. Since then, the area has been plagued with a large amount of rainfall.

"I don't think you'll get any argument from us," Coleman said.

Commissioners told Neil to get the hay off as soon as he can.