Sheriff Tom Kaase reviewed the Fillmore County Jail inspection report at the board’s August 22 meeting. The Minnesota Department of Correction’s (DOC) annual inspection of the facility was conducted from May 10 through May 16, 2017.
Inspectors found that the “jail does not provide a properly trained food service provider at the facility.” The DOC requested an immediate plan to address the violation. The jail’s kitchen is not licensed to prepare meals. The DOC wants a licensed food vendor to provide meals.
Kaase provided estimates from CBM Food Service and Consolidated Food Service. Estimates were made for an average daily jail population of eight to 10 inmates. Commissioners questioned whether a professional food service was the way to go. There was discussion as to how to comply while continuing to provide meals using the jail’s kitchen. No action was taken on the food service issue.
Other non-compliant issues included the lack of a recreation area inside the facility. There is an outside recreation area. An inside recreation area would require remodeling and/or expansion of the facility.
The DOC wants a plan developed to address deterioration of the building and equipment within the building (for example, corrosion of sinks and toilets). The board approved a quote submitted by JJBK Construction Partners, LLC, Spring Valley, in the amount of $2,012.50 for shower base and flooring repair.
Other business in brief
• Three bids had been submitted for the CSAH 1 reconstruction project. The lowest bid in the amount of $1,155,314.76 from Mathiowetz Construction Co. was approved.
• The Airport Maintenance and Operation Grant Contract for 2018 and 2019 was approved. Fillmore County will be reimbursed for 75% of eligible maintenance and operation costs not to exceed $26,734 per year. The Minnesota state grant through the Commissioner of Transportation will reimburse the county up to $53,468 over a two year period.
• Preston Tourism director Gabby Kinneberg and Cheryl Krage, Southern Minnesota Tourism Association, reviewed tourism marketing activities. The county appropriates five cents per capita to the organization, or $1,056 in 2018.
• The budgeting process continued. Numerous proposed departmental budgets for 2018 were discussed, including those under the Auditor/Treasurer’s administration, Solid Waste, Zoning/Feedlot, SWCD and Water Quality, District Court, Library, County Fair Board, Historical Society, County Farm, and Medical Examiner. Salary and expected health insurance increases are driving projected personnel costs. The county will need to approve a preliminary 2018 levy by late September. The final levy can show a reduction but cannot be increased. The final levy will be set in December.
• In an attempt to educate people as to what is inappropriate to dump at rural recycling sites, eight signs four foot by eight foot will be purchased from Kelly Printing at a cost of $180 per sign. Signs installed at each site will detail those items acceptable to be recycled and those that are not to be disposed of at the rural recycling sites.
• The second reading with proposed updates of the discipline policy was approved. The first reading and proposed updates to the employment status policy and holiday policy were discussed.
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