SPECIAL COMMISSION MEETING

DECEMBER 15, 2003

 

 

PRESENT:                 ROBERT L. BAILEY, PRESIDENT

                                    L. D. EGNOR, COMMISSIONER

                                    NANCY CARTMILL, COMMISSIONER

                                    WILLIAM T. WATSON, COUNTY ATTORNEY

                                    GLENN WHITE, COUNTY MANAGER

                                    SHARON ROSS, ASSISTANT COUNTY MANAGER FOR

                                    BILLABLES AND PAYABLES

 

Robert L. Bailey, President, called the special meeting to order at 10:00 a.m.

 

L. D. Egnor, Commissioner, moved to continue the agenda item until the December 18, 2003 Commission Meeting, due to matters at the jail being somewhat unsettled.  Nancy Cartmill, Commissioner, seconded the motion and asked for comments from Jail Administrator, Jim Johnson and Chief Deputy Jim Schiedler.

 

Jim Schiedler, Chief Deputy Sheriff, stated one of the problems facing the department was where to hold the female prisoners.  Chief Deputy Schiedler said one option would be the drunk tank, which could be used as a holding facility but the female prisoners could not be held there with the male prisoners.  Chief Schiedler further stated that the status of the charges against a prisoner when placing prisoners in a holding facility must also be considered.

 

Commissioner Cartmill asked Chief Schiedler if the deputies had to stay with the prisoners while they are in the courtroom.  Chief Schiedler responded that they did.

 

A brief discussion was held on the interpretation of the order that was issued.

 

William Watson, County Attorney, stated there were different interpretations to the order.  Mr. Watson went on to say he believed everyone felt the deputies must transport the prisoners from the holding facility to the courtroom, however, the interpretation for staffing the facility was the issue.

 

Chief Schiedler reported another a problem was when someone would be arrested for public intoxication on Saturday or Sunday and taken to Mildred Bateman Hospital.  Chief Schiedler said it had always been the responsibility of the Sheriff’s Department to transport them to Magistrate Court the next morning and then they are usually released. Chief Schiedler stated this could cause a problem in having personnel on hand to transport from the hospital to the courtroom.

 

Jim Johnson, Jail Administrator, informed the Commission he had heard from other counties that if a mistake were made by the County in a prisoner not showing up for a court appearance, it would then be up to the Sheriff’s Department to go the Regional Jail and transport the prisoner to the courtroom.

 

SPECIAL MEETING

THURSDAY DECEMBER 15, 2003

PAGE TWO

 

Commissioner Cartmill stated that once the prisoners were booked into the Regional Jail they are the sole responsibility of the Jail Authority and the employees of the Jail Authority would bring the prisoners to the Courthouse, therefore, it would not be the responsibility of the Sheriff’s Department.

 

L. D. Egnor, Commissioner, stated he believed it would be in the County’s best interest to make a request to the Regional Jail Authority for their Correctional Officers, at the County’s expense, to provide the transporting of prisoners from the holding facility to the courtroom since these officers would be transporting prisoners from the Regional Jail to the holding facility.

 

Robert L. Bailey, President, stated a motion had been made and seconded to continue this item until the next meeting.  A vote was taken and the vote was unanimous.

 

Commissioner Cartmill asked when the jail would be cleaned.  Mr. Johnson replied he would have trustees coming in next week to help with the cleaning.

 

President Bailey inquired about giving the mattresses from the jail to some facility that could use them.  Mr. Johnson said he would check with other agencies to see if they could use the mattresses.

 

Commissioner Cartmill suggested looking into an arrangement with the Mildred Bateman Hospital to use video arraignment on the public intoxication issue

 

Mr. Johnson informed the Commission that full cases of food, left over from the jail, had been sent back to vendors for refunds and he would call the Huntington Food Bank to see if they could use the open cases of food.

 

Robert L. Bailey, President, adjourned the meeting at 10:35 a.m., until the next scheduled meeting on December 18, 2003 at 10:00 a.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                        ___________________________________                                                                          PRESIDENT, COUNTY COMMISSION

 

 

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