Sheriff reports ongoing jail leaks and equipment failures; staff flag $32,000 in late AMR ambulance claims

The Wichita County Sheriff told commissioners on April 17 that maintenance problems at the county jail persist, including roof leaks around an RTU unit and damaged housing-unit windows, and that some laundry equipment remains out of service.

"We still have some leaks in the roof," the Sheriff said, noting the county has been working with vendors including a roofing company called Carlyle and that "one or two" spots will need additional parts or repairs. He said three windows in a housing unit are being replaced in batches because repeated banging had left them scratched and cloudy.

The Sheriff also described safety and access concerns on the roof and near a hatch, where a participant said the automatic light sometimes goes off and leaves areas in "pitch black darkness." The Sheriff and staff said the facility team is replacing windows and pursuing warranty work for a dryer and washing machine; the warranty repair involves DCIF and Mel is coordinating the replacement.

Separately, county staff reported a backlog of ambulance bills related to jail transports. A staff member said on Wednesday they received "100 claims worth $32,000 for jail people," and that they had reviewed most of the files but still needed to reconcile which transports occurred while people were incarcerated.

"There—28099s probably gonna be close to $30,000 AMR out of the jail next week," the staff member said, and added some of the claims date back to January 2025. Commissioners and staff discussed whether the county—28099s contract and invoicing procedures with AMR need revision; one commissioner suggested reviewing the AMR agreement and forming a task force or subcommittee to address the billing and communication gaps.

A commissioner noted the state—28099s 95-day rule for certain payments and asked staff to confirm how late invoices should be handled under county practice. Staff said the county generally pays owed amounts even when a bill arrives late, but agreed to gather emails and supporting documents so they can fully reconcile the disputed charges and discuss any contract changes.

The commissioners did not take any formal votes on repairs or the AMR claims during the meeting; they directed staff to follow up with documentation and to consider forming a small group to study the billing and contract language.

The meeting continued with budget and courthouse renovation items; the court adjourned at 10:24 a.m.