Jail building projects on the horizon

The new administration at the Putnam County Sheriff's Department has examined Putnam County's aging jail and is looking to make some improvements.

Sheriff Scott Stockton, along with Chief Deputy Phil Parker and Matron Ashley Lytle, spoke about some proposed upgrades during the council's meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 20.

The first issue the sheriff addressed was the need for more and improved office space at the facility on Greencastle's south side.

"As you guys know, the jail was not built to be a sheriff's office," Stockton said. "It was build to be a jail."

Regardless, the jail has served as the offices of the Putnam County Sheriff's Department for 20 years, a practice that won't be changing.

However, the department will now be utilizing an area Stockton identified as "dead space" for additional offices and interview rooms.

Best of all, the work can be performed by county maintenance personnel with a materials coming at a cost of around $2,000.

Another jail project was approved for 2014, but was never completed.

In September, the council approved a request from former Sheriff Steve Fenwick for a $49,000 additional appropriation to repave the parking lot. However, fall and winter weather prevented the project from being completed in 2014.

The appropriation now has to be re-approved, but there will be no change in cost.

Finally, the jail is also in need of new rooftop air handlers. Two of the six units were replaced several years ago, but the remaining four are original. Parker informed the council the old units are beginning to nickel and dime the county.

The parts and type of refrigerant used in the old units is being phased out, meaning it's time to think about replacing them.

While the air handlers could be replaced two at a time, maintenance man Tom Gilson pointed out that a crane needs to be brought in to replace the units. That kind of cost is best to be absorbed all at once.

With more than $300,000 in the cumulative jail fund, there is more than enough to cover the three projects. Auditor Lorie Hallett said $100,000 has been set aside for upcoming projects, but she will need to check with Treasurer Sharon Owens about the status of jail funds that are currently invested.

Weather will need to improve before the outside work can be completed, giving the county a bit more time to explore its options.

In other business:

* Meeting for its first monthly meeting of 2015, the council welcomed Jill Bridgewater, appointing the new District 2 councilor to the Operation Life Board and the County Plan Commission.

Darrel Thomas was also re-elected as council president.

Trudy Selvia was re-appointed as the council's attorney.

* The council approved salary adjustments in the health department, prosecutor's office and clerk's office. The adjustments in the health department and prosecutor's office were matters of correcting issues within the 2015 budget. In the case of the clerk's office, new Clerk Heather Gilbert wished to change the exact funding levels of her various deputies.

* The council officially approved tax abatement on new development at Scorpion Coatings.

The company will invest $270,000 to construct and equip a new 2,115-square-foot addition and retrofit an 800-square-foot spray booth at its current 8,784-square-foot facility along U.S. 231, south of U.S. 40.

The facility, scheduled to be fully operational by June 2016, will allow the company to optimize and expand operations and increase production capacity to support growth in the protective coating systems market for the automotive, industrial, military and consumer sectors.