Published: October 15, 2009 10:19 am      

Hays Jail going green, but not in a good way

Vegetation woes could drive fix-up costs through roof

San Marcos — If it had been designed to be “green,” then shrubbery growing on the roof of the Hays County Law Enforcement Center would be a good thing.

But it wasn’t, so it is decidedly not.

Instead, the vegetation that’s taken hold is accelerating the roof’s deterioration, a consultant on the lockup’s future told the Commissioners Court on Tuesday.

“I was expecting to see a roof that can be patched, I didn’t see that,” said Phil Buterbaugh of Broaddus & Associates.

The 20-year-old building that houses the jail, sheriff’s office administration and the offices and courtroom of Justice of the Peace Place 1, Pct. 1 has a number of problems and the facility has failed its last two inspections by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards.

The roof is among the most serious problems, as leaks through it and the air conditioning systems housed on it have contributed to severe rust, mold and mildew, Buterbaugh said.

He noted that there’s “really not an option” other than to replace all the facility’s AC components, as some of the leaks are coming through the units. The price tag for that alone comes to about $350,000, he said, which would be on top of the approximately half million for roof replacement. (Some of that money would come from a class action lawsuit years back.)

Acknowledging the repairs that would have to be made to pass the next inspection, Commissioners on Tuesday voted to spend $1.455 million towards reaching compliance.

They also voted to commit $246,000 to a larger study to determine if the building can be rehabilitated and/or expanded, or if a new facility needs to be built at a different location.

Buterbaugh said replacing it would likely cost $20 to $25 million; calling the approved repairs “a pretty effective Band-Aid.”

“We’re in a position where we don’t have much choice,” said County Judge Liz Sumter, noting the state commission has repeatedly cited the same problems despite jail personnel “continually repainting” and doing other patch jobs. The state commission could close the jail or impose other sanctions if the facility continues to fail inspection.

The short term fixes will also include some kitchen repairs and plumbing. The roof work is expected to take two months, once a roofer is hired, and Commissioners intend that plumbing and kitchen work be done at the same time.

Related issues, like arranging catering while the kitchen is out of commission, have yet to be addressed.

“I agree we need to move forward,” said Commissioner Debbie Ingalsbe. “Repairs are needed and the state is requiring them. It needs to be done for the safety of all involved.”

Commissioner Will Conley gave a nod to the long time the jail improvement process has taken. “We have moved forward as a court in starting to address this issue,” he said, noting “setbacks mainly because we had a turnover in the Sheriff’s Office.”

Sheriff Tommy Ratliff was appointed late last year after the Dec. 6 death of former Sheriff Allen Bridges.

Major Brad Robinson, the lead officer in charge of the jail, said the sooner the repairs can get underway, the better. Due in part to portions of the jail being closed, overcrowding continues to be an issue, he told commissioners.

“We’ve got people farmed out to another county right now,” Robinson said, which is costing the county additional money.

Representatives of Broaddus are schedule to appear before the court at its Oct. 20 meeting with more details.