January 25, 2022 - Shelby County Sheriff Kevin Windham informed the Shelby County Commissioners during their January 12, 2022, meeting of a proposal from Center Motor Company for two trucks to add to the Sheriff's Department fleet.
As a result of the crash incident involving a deputy vehicle on December 21, insurance money has been received which can be put toward the purchase of a replacement. Due to the short supply and high demand of Chevrolet Tahoes, the Sheriff's Department has chosen to purchase more available options by way of pickup trucks.
"Our vehicle was a total loss, the insurance has paid us $30,025 for that Tahoe," said Sheriff Windham.
According to Sheriff Windham, the Sheriff's Department researched available options and located two dealerships which had the same model Ford F-150 XL Police responder Sheriff Windham is currently driving. At the time of the meeting, Center Motor Company was one of those dealerships and they gave a price of $38,950 on each unit.
Sheriff Windham expressed gratitude to the commissioners for being gracious enough to make it possible for the hire of a new deputy position at the Sheriff's Department and he remarked that position does need a vehicle, and was the reason for the request of another vehicle at that time.
"What we're looking at to [equip] both these vehicles is somewhere in the neighborhood of between $11,000 and $12,000 to equip these vehicles," said Sheriff Windham.
The total price for both vehicles and equipping them was projected at $59,550 with the deduction of the $30,025 from the insurance reducing the total cost from over $100,000.
The commissioners reviewed the Sheriff's Department's current overtime which according to Sheriff Windham has been effected by the absence of employees due to Covid-19. The Sheriff's Department time and a half overtime budget is $100,000 and as of January 12, 2022, it had $34,935 remaining. The regular overtime rate account has considerably less total funds at a total of $10,000 with $7,240.67 remaining.
At the time of the meeting Sheriff Windham stated he had several employees out with Covid-19 including one deputy, three to four dispatchers, and one jailer.
Sheriff Windham asked about the possibility of utilizing available Covid funds for the purchase of the vehicle; however, Judge Allison Harbison expressed concerns over the potentially high cost of needed plumbing repairs at the county jail.
"We though about that, but we don't know what we've got over there on the plumbing issue and if we keep whittling away at that, you know, we want to figure out what it's going to take to fix the plumbing over there," said Judge Harbison. "I didn't realize [Covid funding] was down that low already."
Ann Blackwell, County Treasurer, said it was about "half spent." Those funds, which were originally reported on December 16, 2020, were around $905,685.
Roscoe McSwain, Commissioner Precinct 1, reviewed the vehicle repair budget and he was expecting to see less usage out of that fund since the Sheriff's Department has increased its fleet with newer vehicles. Sheriff Windham said some of the older units are still in service and they have just been reassigned. Chief Ruth Gonzalez and Captain Tanner Peace each drive vehicles that have been retired from patrol.
There are several surplus vehicles Sheriff Windham said are in progress of being dealt with so they can either be sold, or returned to their original owners, and get vehicles removed from county insurance.
The commissioners continued to discuss the possibility of using Covid relief funds for the purchase of a vehicle, but without knowing with greater certainty what the jail plumbing repairs might even cost, they were not enthusiastic about taking that route.
Judge Harbison informed the commissioners the Contingency fund had $186,318 at that time and to prevent taking funds out of the Sheriff's budget for the addition of equipment for the patrol vehicle the commissioners could use funds from that account for that expense.
A motion carried to proceed with the purchase of the single F-150 with the idea the purchase and the equipment addition will be in a $15,000 range out of the Contingency fund. After additional information on the repair to the jail has been received, the commissioners may revisit the subject of the second vehicle again.
The Commissioners approved turning Stolz Road into CR 2706 in Precinct 2 and Jimmy Lout, Precinct 2 Commissioner, explained the situation involving the roadway and two men who live off of the road and who have provided maintenance.
"They've maintained the road for [20-something] years and they just said they hate to keep putting money on it. One of them is 90 years old," said Lout.
According to Commissioner Lout, the road is around 200 yards in length and the request has been made for the county to adopt the roadway and take responsibility for its maintenance.
A motion carried to adopt the road in Precinct 2 as a county road.
Agenda items approved during the meeting include: 1. Minutes of December 1, 2021 Special meeting, December 8, 2021 Regular meeting, December 15, 2021 Special meeting, December 22, 2021 Special meeting of the Shelby County Commissioner’s Court. 2. Pay weekly expenses. 3. Officers Reports. 4. Record the filing of the Vehicle Inventory Tax Fund audit for January 2022. 5. Adopt Stolz Road to become County Road 2706 in Pct. 2. 6. Purchase one Ford F150 police unit for the Sheriff’s Department. 7. Adjourn.
