After the Polk County Jail received write-ups from both the state of North Carolina and the health department, commissioners approved spending $22,268 to make the necessary repairs. 

Commissioners met Monday, April 7 and approved bids to replace showers that are rusted and to improve airflow in the air conditioning unit as well as to replace an air compressor that is currently burnt out.

Polk County Maintenance Director Mickey Edwards met with commissioners to go over the repairs and said the state jail inspection found several issues with one being the poor condition of the showers.

Edwards also explained that at one time the county took out part of the heating coils in the boiler heat and during an extremely cold winter several years ago put the coils back in, which had a negative effect on the airflow and caused a compressor to go out.

The bid received was to remove some of the coils, which will allow the maintenance department to get in and clean the coils for the air conditioning to improve the airflow.

The bid also includes funding to replace the compressor.

Interim county manager Marche Pittman told commissioners the planned repairs are in direct response to two jail write-ups including one from the health department.

Earlier in the budget year Pittman had suggested a storage building to take care of an area in the jail that was written up for storage, but the current repairs take care of those needs as well, so a building is no longer needed, Pittman said.

Commissioner Keith Holbert asked if the repairs will take care of the write-ups from the state and health department, with Pittman answering the repairs will comply with the large items in the inspections.

The county approved a budget amendment to transfer the $22,268 from the manager’s discretion fund to building maintenance in order to make the repairs.