Howard County commissioners approve split to make county jail bathroom ADA-compliant

The Howard County Board of Commissioners approved splitting the cost of remodeling a downstairs bathroom at the county community corrections facility to bring it into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The bathroom at the facility's lower level lacks an accessible stall and shower grab bars, presenters said, which leaves no accessible option if the elevator is not working. Jeremy, identified in the meeting as a member of the community corrections staff, told commissioners the restroom is near the main offender entrance and that the project would create a single, multiuse accessible stall with an accessible sink and shower at the required heights.

The remodel request was presented as an estimate; the meeting record does not state a contractor price. Jeremy said the intent was to use available operational funds but that commissioners had discussed using a county capital line referenced in the record as "COOMCAT" (meeting transcript line code cited during the discussion) if needed. During debate, Commissioners and staff discussed splitting the cost between Jeremy's department and the county capital account. A motion to approve the split passed after a motion and a second; the roll-call was recorded as "Aye," and no individual vote tallies were provided in the record.

Commissioners said the issue was raised previously after attorneys flagged accessibility concerns. The board did not specify a construction timeline in the meeting.

The board directed staff to move forward under the approved cost-split arrangement; no contract award or construction start date was recorded during the meeting.