Grant Would 'Unfreeze' Deputy Jobs

The Douglas County Board of Commissioners approved a grant application on Tuesday that, if OK’d by the Department of Justice, will fill eight sheriff’s deputy positions that have been frozen since 2009.

This is the third year the county has applied for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program grant, which is due online by May 25.

Chief Deputy Stan Copeland explained to the commissioners at Monday’s work session that last year, the Camden County Sheriff’s Office was the only sheriff’s office in Georgia to receive grant money. The rest of the state’s grants went to police departments. 

“We hope the Department of Justice is a little more kind to sheriffs this year,” he said.

For three years, the Department of Justice would cover the base salaries and fringe benefits for the eight deputies. The county would be required to take over the costs for at least one year after.

Copeland said the county would also need to pay a small amount for equipment and training for the deputies.

Commissioner Kelly Robinson noted at the work session that the new county jail is scheduled to open in 2013 and asked if more staff would be needed at the facility.

“We do not anticipate any new positions for 2013 for the jail,” Copeland said, adding that the eight deputies would solely work the streets. The chief deputy added that as warranties on construction begin to expire around 2014 and 2015 on the jail, there may be increases in operational costs.

Commission Chairman Tom Worthan asked if the COPS grant is only given for frozen positions. Copeland said it could also be awarded for new positions, but “we feel like we stand a better chance because (the grant application) says, ‘We have these frozen. We need to at least come back to where we were.’”

The board also approved an application for a $150,000 grant on Tuesday from the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center. The money would go toward the Sheriff’s Office’s Drug & Youth Gang Initiative 

“They actually came down last month and met with us and saw what we’ve been doing with our youth and drug initiative and our approach as far as treatment, enforcement, education and all that,” Copeland said at the work session. “They were so impressed with it that they went back to the University of Chicago and are writing this grant for us.”

Also at Monday’s work session, commissioners were given an update on the jail’s construction and discussed it throughout the meeting.

“If you’ve been by the site, you will see a lot of work being done in a very efficient and quick manner,” Copeland said. “It’s moving along very well.”

About 15 workdays have been lost to weather since construction began, Copeland said, adding “the project is within budget and on schedule with no change orders.”

Bids are continuing to be put out to contractors, he said, adding that about 25 percent of those already awarded have been given to local firms, a percentage that was required in the agreement with the main contractor, Turner/New South Construction.

Robinson asked if the 25 percent is based on the number of firms or by dollars spent.

Copeland said he was fairly certain that it is based on dollars spent, but that he would check with the contractor to see exactly how it is formulated.

Commissioner Ann Jones Guider said, “One thing that I’m asked all the time is: What are we going to do with the old jail?”

Worthan said a decision hasn’t been made yet.

County Attorney Ken Bernard suggested at Monday’s work session that three items in an construction update packet given to commissioners be approved at Tuesday’s meeting: $431,323 in owner contingency funds being used to remove unsuitable soils from the site, $8,158 in the funds being used for temporary power, and drawings and an updated document list for the project for free.

The commission approved those items on Tuesday.

Commissioners asked Copeland on Monday about how many state inmates the jail is housing. He said the average is between 140 and 160 out of the 804 that were there at the start of the week.

“Has the state gotten better about picking them up?” Guider asked.

“No, and they’re not going to get better.” Copeland said.

“They’re not building any new beds,” Worthan added. “As a matter of fact, they sold two prisons last year.”

But, Copeland said, after the county pushed for medical reimbursements, it received about $300,000 in the last six months. He said for each of the state inmates, the county gets paid $20 a day, and for a healthy inmate that doesn’t require maximum security, it costs between $32 and $34 a day to house him or her.

Worthan noted that state prisoners are in the jail because they committed state crimes in the county.

Also at Tuesday’s legislative meeting:

• Yet another grant application was approved: one from the Department of Justice for up to $300,000 for Juvenile Court’s Family Drug Treatment Court.
• Commissioners voted to no longer consider renaming one of two sections of High Point Road. At the last legislative meeting, residents of that section , which was to help emergency responders differentiate between the two sections. Fire-EMS Chief Scott Spencer said at the work session that the addresses on both sides of the road have been marked in the emergency system so responders will know where to go.
• CorrectHealth, the company providing health care at the jail, will take over the two remaining county positions that were also providing care at the jail for an annual $84,600. CorrectHealth was awarded the contract last October, Copeland said Monday, with two county employees working under them. A licensed practical nurse resigned in December and the other person transferred out of the medical department. “It was just not working out as we had hoped,” Copeland said. CorrectHealth supervising the county employees “was just not a good practice, and we were having a lot of problems.”
• Upgraded computer hardware, costing $160,500, that will be used at the current jail then transferred to the new jail was approved with confiscated drug funds.
• The county’s Records Retention Department was awarded $1,300 in supplies from the district attorney’s post forfeiture account.
• It was announced that the county is one of 30 among Georgia’s 159 to receive the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting.
• Carrie Way of Bright Star Elementary School discussed what the character word of the month, appreciation, meant to her.
• Macy’s Inc. and Macy’s at Arbor Place Mall were recognized for community contributions and volunteer efforts.
• This month was declared Drug Court month in the county.
• It was announced that the fourth annual Penny McHenry Hydrangea Festival is scheduled for June 4 and 5 at the Douglas County Courthouse.

 Several county board appointments and reappointments were made that either went into effect immediately or will soon:

• Pat Fulghum and Tim Husley—Animal Advisory Board for two years
• Maurice Jones—Family and Children Services Board for five years
• Cheryl Mahone—Board of Public Libraries for three years
• Greg Baker, James McCloud, Wendy Mitchell and Ricky Roland—Planning & Zoning Board for two years