Board directs staff to add jail roof repairs to capital list; asks sheriff for realistic capacity cap

County Administrator Derek Ruppier briefed the board on the condition of the county jail facility and recommended adding roof repairs and weather sealing to the capital projects list. Ruppier said the building appears structurally sound but has leaking points at wall joints and masonry that likely will require significant repairs; staff provided a budgetary estimate in the neighborhood of $100,000 and recommended obtaining sealed bids to develop a firm cost.

Ruppier and supervisors discussed current jail population trends and outsourcing thresholds. The jail’s average daily population has risen over recent months (the county reported averages rising from about 7–9 to more than 14 in March and projected into the mid‑teens in April), which changes the cost calculus for contracting beds elsewhere. The board asked the sheriff and jail staff to provide a realistic daily capacity — a level the county can sustain with current staffing — and to identify the number at which the county should begin outsourcing inmates to neighboring jurisdictions.

The board directed staff to place roof repair/replacement on the capital projects list for the upcoming budget cycle and to gather at least three sealed bids if the project will exceed purchasing thresholds. No demolition or disposal decision was made; the board agreed the facility is worth preserving but asked staff to produce firm estimates and to determine the operational inmate capacity that would trigger outsourcing.

Ending: Staff will solicit multiple bids for roof and weatherproofing work, present cost estimates for the capital plan and return with a recommended daily capacity figure from the sheriff’s office to guide outsourcing decisions.