Yavapai County approves jail medical and road‑study contracts, adopts building code changes; board accepts county manager resignation

At its Oct. 1 meeting the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors approved multiple contract actions, adopted updated building codes and, after an executive session, accepted the county manager’s resignation.

Jail medical contract extension: Sheriff David Rhodes explained negotiations with the county’s jail‑medical contractor, Wexford Healthcare, and said the extension includes an approximately $800,000 increase largely driven by staffing needs across two facilities. Rhodes described the contract as subcapitated — a block‑purchase model tied to average daily population — and said the county ran a competitive procurement and found the existing contractor provided the needed level of service at lower cost than alternatives. The board approved the contract extension unanimously.

Williamson Valley Road study: Public Works Director Roger McCormick presented a professional services agreement with Kimley‑Horn for a traffic study and preliminary engineering design for Williamson Valley Road, not to exceed $485,690. The study will include intersection counts, turning‑movement analyses, level‑of‑service forecasting and two public outreach events; McCormick estimated completion in about a year and mentioned a one‑month delay in start. Supervisors cited safety concerns on the corridor; the board approved the contract unanimously.

Restoration‑to‑competency services: Sheriff Rhodes also described the county’s in‑house restoration‑to‑competency (RTC) program, which other counties can use under per‑diem arrangements; staff said the RTC contract is net neutral because out‑of‑county placements offset local costs. The contract extension with Wexford for those services passed unanimously.

Building codes: Development Services Director Jeremy Dye and Chief Building Official Warren Colvin presented proposed adoption of the 2024 building codes, noting collaborative review with municipal jurisdictions and contractors. Key technical changes include updated rules for energy and battery storage (ESS), revised snow‑load maps based on an ASCE hazard tool, and adoption of an updated energy code with local changes to testing requirements. The board voted to adopt the codes; the effective date was set for Jan. 1, 2026.

County manager resignation: After moving into executive session, the board returned and voted to accept County Manager Maury Thompson’s resignation dated Oct. 1, 2025, and to waive the notice requirement; the action passed unanimously. The board did not announce an interim manager during the public meeting.

All votes on the contracts and code adoption were unanimous as recorded in the meeting.