SPECIAL MEETING
PRESENT: ROBERT L. BAILEY, PRESIDENT
L. D. EGNOR, COMMISSIONER
NANCY CARTMILL, COMMISSIONER
WILLIAM T. WATSON, COUNTY ATTORNEY
GLENN WHITE, COUNTY MANAGER
ABSENT: SHARON ROSS, ASSISTANT MANAGER FOR
BILLIABLES AND PAYABLES
DISCUSSION: REGARDING ISSUES RELATED TO THE
STAFFING OF A HOLDING FACILITY FOR
CABELL COUNTY
Robert L. Bailey, President, called the special meeting to order at 12:30 p.m.
Sheriff Kim Wolfe stated that he had been to a Sheriff’s Association Meeting where he had been informed that deputies had to be employed at the Cabell County Holding Facility. Sheriff Wolfe further stated he had requested attorney, Michael Woelfel, to look into this matter.
William Watson, County Attorney, stated he had researched the issue of a holding facility at an earlier date and feels there is one area that is questionable. Mr. Watson further stated he feels it is unclear if a deputy would be needed to transport a prisoner from the holding facility to the courtroom.
Mr. Watson went on to say that it was his opinion that civilian or non-civil service personnel could be used to work the holding facility, but the real issue was the transporting of prisoners from the holding facility to the courtroom and back. Mr. Watson believed it would be a good idea to inquire into seeing if the bailiffs, the deputies who work in the courtrooms, could help with the transporting of the prisoners from the holding facility to the courtrooms.
Mr. Watson said another idea would be using the Correctional Officers from the Regional Jail since they would be transporting the prisoners from the jail to the county holding facility. Mr. Watson suggested that perhaps an agreement could be made between the county and the Jail Authority to have the Correctional Officers transport the prisoners from the holding facility to the courtroom.
Sheriff Kim Wolfe informed the Commission he would feel very uncomfortable putting civilians in the position of transporting prisoners.
Michael Woelfel, Attorney representing Sheriff Wolfe, asked the Commission what their plan was for the jail and would it be a holding facility within the meaning of the regulations. Commissioner Egnor told Mr. Woelfel it would be a twelve-hour holding facility.
PAGE TWO
Mr. Watson stated that he read the regulations and in his opinion the only applicable division of that set of regulations was just a definition of a holding facility and the rest of the requirements that must be met had to do with the jail.
L. D. Egnor, Commissioner, stated the holding facilities in the State were done in many different ways. Mr. Egnor suggested the Commission seek a declaratory judgment to find out the responsibilities and duties that are required of the Commission, so the Commission could do the job in the most cost effective way and the safest way. Commissioner Egnor further stated there was no need for deputies to transport the prisoners from the holding facility to the courtrooms.
Sheriff Wolfe informed the Commission that the deputies were transporting the prisoners at the present time from the jail to the courtrooms.
Jim Johnson, Jail Administrator, informed the Commission that they would need an answer as soon as possible because the Regional Jail would be ready for Cabell County prisoners in December.
Mr. Johnson also stated that eight to twenty-five people a day would be in the holding facility and there would be six people working the facility.
L. D. Egnor, Commissioner, moved to authorize William Watson, County Attorney, to confer with Attorney Ancil Ramey to obtain an expedited declaratory judgment action in order to reach the termination of the matters that were before the Commission at this meeting. Nancy Cartmill, Commissioner, seconded the motion and the vote was unanimous.
Robert L. Bailey, President, adjourned the Special Meeting at 1:20 p.m.
____________________________________
PRESIDENT, COUNTY COMMISSION
KSC:ar