Jefferson County commissioners awarded a $96,975 contract to Conservco to renovate shower walls and floors at the county jail, after jail staff said the work is needed to meet upcoming inspections.

James (last name not specified in the transcript), speaking with Conservco representatives present, described a phased approach that would keep some showers available while crews work. “They will do upstairs and downstairs first and kinda move through keeping a set of showers open at all times,” he said. Conservco’s written proposal described repairing CMU walls, applying epoxy filler and grout coats, and installing a chemical-resistant urethane top coat for 17 showers.

Sheriff’s staff told commissioners the jail has roughly $50,000 in repairs and another capital/building fund for the jail; commissioners concluded the funds on hand cover the work and moved to approve Conservco’s proposal. Commissioners and staff said the timing is tight because inspections typically occur in late winter, and leaving the work undone risks failing the county’s equipment and facilities inspection.

Commissioner discussion focused on logistics to avoid taking all showers offline at once; staff committed to scheduling work so freshly coated areas would cure over a weekend and be walkable by Monday. The motion to approve Conservco’s bid passed on roll call, and staff were instructed to coordinate schedules and purchase orders with the contractor.

Why it matters: failing a jail facilities inspection can lead to operational and legal complications; commissioners prioritized timely work and used available jail repair funds to pay for the contract.