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Court approves emergency exception after jail transfer switch failed; used replacement installed to avoid inmate relocation
Summary
Kaufman County Commissioners approved an emergency procurement exception under state law to install a rebuilt transfer switch at the county jail after the automatic transfer would not switch back from generator power, preventing the potential need to relocate inmates.
Kaufman County Commissioners Court approved an emergency procurement exception to replace a failed transfer switch at the county jail after the device would not switch back from generator power during testing.
The sheriff told the court the switch would not switch back and that delaying replacement for a new unit would have taken about eight days, forcing the county to consider moving inmates because cooling systems could fail if temperatures rose. “We only could find one that was used compared to getting a new one that would take about 8 days,” the sheriff said. The used unit was rebuilt, tested and installed.
County staff declared the purchase an emergency under Texas law allowing emergency procurement when it is necessary to protect health and safety. The court approved an exception to competitive bidding pursuant to the cited statute and voted to ratify the emergency purchase.
Why it matters: replacing the transfer switch maintained uninterrupted power and avoided the operational and safety risks of transferring inmates to other facilities during hot weather.
What the court approved: ratification of an emergency procurement to install a rebuilt, tested transfer switch and an exception to the county’s usual competitive bidding process to address an urgent facility-safety need.
