The Coffee County Capital Outlay Committee voted Jan. 2 to send a request to Budget & Finance seeking reimbursement for an emergency replacement of the jail's building-wide battery backup system.

Committee members were told the jail's lithium battery array, which contains dozens of cells that support the facility's electronics, had swollen and become inoperable, causing intermittent power failures that threatened systems inside the building. The county obtained work from Eaton to replace the system immediately and paid the supplier up front so the repair could begin without delay.

The county's maintenance staff reported the hardware purchase cost $32,650; committee members were told the ongoing maintenance agreement for the equipment will be paid from regular maintenance budgets. Committee members approved a motion to forward the reimbursement request to Budget & Finance and said the county would seek to fund the purchase from capital projects rather than the maintenance account.

Committee members discussed warranty and maintenance terms. Staff said Eaton required a maintenance agreement for warranty coverage and that maintenance fees would be charged to normal operating budgets while the capital purchase would be considered for reimbursement.

The motion to send the reimbursement request to Budget & Finance passed on a voice vote; committee minutes indicate unanimous approval.

The committee did not specify a timetable for Budget & Finance action or the exact department budget line to be adjusted; staff said they had completed most paperwork and would attach documentation to the referral.

Clarifying details: the purchase was described as an emergency replacement because the degraded batteries were causing power failures in a primarily electronic jail; Eaton performed the work and required upfront payment to start the job. The maintenance agreement and ongoing service fees remain the county's operational expense.

The committee will forward the reimbursement request to Budget & Finance for final determination.