Board Meeting October 25, 2006

Finances topped Wednesday’s agenda of the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio Board as members approved 2007 budgets, revised bed allocation numbers and awarded bids.

A 2007 operating budget of $15.9 million, an increase of 3.5 percent over the 2006 budget of $15.37 million, was approved by members.

Increased costs were contributed to staff wages and salaries, employee health care premium, a scheduled state fiscal audit, increased inmate medical/dental costs and rising fuel costs.

Board members were also informed of a projected $318,000 carryover in the 2006 budget that will be credited back to the jurisdictions in 2007.

The 2007 budget includes a special per diem rate of $1 to finance capital improvements, estimated at $140,767, to include roof replacements, computer equipment, two staff vehicles, and a new bus.

Board members also approved a 2007 operating budget totaling $712,127 for the Electronic Monitoring program that is self sufficient with funds paid by participants and an Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction grant. The budget includes staff salaries and benefits, vehicle maintenance, and equipment.

Jim Dennis, CCNO Executive Director, said the program will serve more than 1,000 participants by the end of the year and staff will soon start some 30 active GPS tracking units. He noted that one grant, providing $36,542 to the program, expires at the end of the year.

The 2007 bed allocation was approved by board members with only two counties making changes. Henry County reduced its bed allocation from 39 to 38 and Lucas County received the additional bed, increasing its allocation from 197 to198. Others stand at 62 for Defiance County; 50 for Fulton County, 244 for City of Toledo; and 50 for Williams County.

A bid from Richland Co. & Assoc. out of Defiance at $101,900 was accepted for roof replacement. Also submitting a bid was Wolfe’s Roofing, Walbridge, at $102,525.

Also accepted was a bid from ARAMARK Correctional Services Inc. with a low bid of 75 cents per meal. Also submitting bids were Canteen Services at 82 cents and ABL Management at 96 cents per meal.

In his operational report, Mr. Dennis said Wednesday’s population peaked to 603 or 94 percent and was on the verge of creating an overcrowding emergency. He noted that overcrowding emergencies had been declared three times in September and once in October to date. He noted the average daily population in September was 596 or 93 percent. He hoped that population numbers will go down in November and December as has been the practice in past years due to the holidays.

Mr. Dennis said most overcrowding occurs on the weekends and asked officials to look at figures showing most new incarcerations in 2006 to date occurring on Fridays followed by Mondays and Thursdays. He asked that if there was a 25 percent reduction in the number of new offenders being sent to jail on Fridays, it could eliminate overcrowding conditions. He also asked judges to look at their process in returning offenders more quickly to state prisons when conducting judicial reviews.

In other business, Mr. Dennis said two additional video arraignment units will be in operation soon at the Lucas County Common Pleas Courts. Also authorities in Cuyahoga County and in the Kalamazoo-Grand Rapids, Mich. area are considering building regional jails and looking at CCNO for guidance.

Members met in executive sessions for eight minutes to discuss union negotiations with no action taken.