Layout of Silverdale complex
The Hamilton County Commission discussed several topics pertaining to the Sheriff’s Office during their Wednesday morning meeting, including repairing and replacing roofs.
Garland/DBS, Inc. had a bid of $768,667 for replacing roofs at the facility that was recently taken back by the Sheriff's Office from a private firm.
Using a Powerpoint map of Silverdale, Sheriff Jim Hammond showed the County Commission which roofs needed to be fixed.
“Charlie Building and Echo Building are the two we’re talking about being replaced now,” Sheriff Hammond said.
“You see the brown roofs, those are the ones in the worst need of repair, so they’re high priority for this bid.
“If you look at the bottom U-shaped building. From there to where all the cars are being parked to the top of the black building, that’s where construction is happening.”
Chairman Chip Baker pointed to the red box on the map and asked, “The area with the hyphened off square is where the new modular are is going to be, correct?”
Sheriff Hammond said that building has been shut down for many years. But once renovated, the clerks, magistrates, and bookings will all take place in that building, and thus the downtown jail will finally be shut down. He told the Commission that about 50 prisoners are still downtown.
“The money we’re spending out there is the money left over from the CoreCivic contract,” Sheriff Hammond said in response to a question from Commissioner David Sharpe. He said, “It is not new money we’re asking for.”
Commissioner Greg Martin wondered if or when the jail is empty and later sold, who would receive the money from the sale. He said it might go to the Sheriff’s Office, or it might go to the county’s general fund. Sheriff Hammond said he believed the county would have to decide that when it happens.
The Commission also briefly discussed purchasing network equipment for the Silverdale
Detention Center from Insight Public Sector for $33,521.68.
Sheriff Hammond said that when CoreCivic ran the jail, they never had any sort of infrastructure put in place. He told Commissioner Sharpe that the network equipment is for communication purposes.
“There was no infrastructure out here and never had been,” Sheriff Hammond said, “So we’re having to reinvent the whole modernization of the facility.”
The Commission also looked into a resolution which will replace the locks in Silverdale. Sheriff Hammond said the new locks will stop problems the Sheriff’s Office has had with inmates stuffing the locks.
The bid is from Cornerstone Detention Products, Inc. to replace cell door locks at the Silverdale Detention Center for $212,548.
“You’ve noticed we’ve been discussing Silverdale and the jails,” opined Commissioner Warren Mackey, “and it’s obvious that Commissioner Sharpe has been raising problems about the jail, and that CoreCivic have mismanaged and squandered opportunities.”