Sherman County leaders report jail billing recovery, new commissary system and counseling pilot funded by opioid settlement funds

Unidentified Speaker 4 told commissioners the county had nearly $25,000 in jail housing bills for the beginning of the year and that most reimbursements had been received, with one Cheyenne County bill still outstanding. The conversation noted prior billing lapses and a call from Cody Beason of Cheyenne County querying why bills were not being sent promptly.

Speaker 4 described short staffing on the roads and plans to move some jail staff to road work when recruits complete training. The board discussed vehicle availability, potential used pickups from Kansas Highway Patrol and the status of vehicle graphics on new units.

On jail operations, Speaker 4 said the county’s new commissary system, called Crown Sterling, is installed and functioning and that a local representative provided training. The commissary vendor responded quickly when questions arose, Speaker 4 said.

Unidentified Speaker 7 reported a counseling program started by 'Lacey' for inmates has been well attended and will expand from a weekly hour to more time. Speaker 7 said the pilot is being funded with opioid settlement funds and includes some one-on-one sessions; confidentiality limitations for group settings were noted. "It's turning out very well," Unidentified Speaker 7 said of the pilot.

Commissioners also discussed building maintenance issues at the jail, including an old shower stall and intermittent sewer-gas odors; Speaker 4 said McClure's will inspect and the fire department's smoke machine may be used in diagnostics. No formal policy decisions or funding reallocations were recorded at the meeting beyond the informational updates and the reported use of opioid settlement funds for the counseling pilot.