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Fiscal Court authorizes inmate work-crew agreement and DOC payment contract; jail staffing and contractor insurance concerns deferred
Summary
The court approved a Memorandum of Agreement with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for roadside inmate crews and authorized a contract with the Department of Corrections for payment distributions under House Bill 556; Jailer Eric Vaughn raised hiring and contractor-insurance concerns that the court agreed to revisit at the July 5 meeting.
Simpson County Fiscal Court voted June 21 to authorize a Memorandum of Agreement with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to use roadside inmate work crews from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2024, and separately authorized entering a contract with the Kentucky Department of Corrections to accept jail payment distributions authorized by House Bill 556. Judge/Executive Mason Barnes was authorized to sign any necessary documents related to both agreements.
Jailer Eric Vaughn told the court it is difficult to find employees willing to work for $15 per hour. He said a specialty part-time worker who provides IT, backup maintenance and time-sheet handling has been paid $25 per hour and requested the court allow that role to be paid as a contract position (1099) with a maximum annual cap of $3,500; Vaughn said the cap would not be reached. Vaughn also recommended that existing jail contractor agreements be amended to require proof of insurance. The court took no immediate action on those staffing and contract-insurance recommendations and scheduled them for reconsideration at the July 5 Fiscal Court meeting.
Both the MOA with the Transportation Cabinet and the contract tied to House Bill 556 were approved at the June 21 meeting.
