Concerns over the continued financial performance of the Nevada County Jail dominated discussion at Tuesday evening's Nevada County Quorum Court meeting, with justices of the peace and county officials expressing alarm that jail expenditures continue to exceed budget projections.

A video of the meeting in its entirety can be seen below this article.

The discussion began as county financial reports were reviewed. After hearing an update on Solid Waste finances, Justice of the Peace Willie Wilson turned attention to the jail.

“What is our deficit on the jail?” Wilson asked.

Wilson then asked County Judge Mike Otwell what was driving the shortfall.

“What seems to be the major expenditure, Judge, from what you're hearing, that's causing this adverse effect?” he asked.

Judge Otwell said he would request that Sheriff Danny Martin come to a future meeting so the court could base its decisions on facts rather than speculation.

“Next Quorum Court meeting, we're going to have somebody from the Sheriff's Department over here to answer questions that they know the answers to. I'm not going to sit up here and assume,” Otwell said.

Justice of the Peace Herbert Coleman pointed to the magnitude of the overrun. “We can't live with that, ladies and gentlemen,” he said. “That's an average like $27,000 a month more than what is budgeted.” He said a special meeting may need to occur soon so the court could learn what is occurring.

Discussion centered on whether the jail is receiving enough state inmates to remain financially viable and whether state reimbursement rates have kept pace with rising costs.

Wilson questioned the long-term sustainability of a jail model dependent upon housing inmates from outside the county.

“I just do not like the idea of a jail being supported by locking people up,” Wilson said later in the discussion. “If you need to be locked up, fine, but don’t support it by locking up people.”

Pruitt noted that officials have previously been told the facility needs to house approximately 68 inmates to break even. “You gotta have those 68 inmates,” he said.

Otwell explained that inmate populations fluctuate constantly as the state moves prisoners among facilities. “The other day, they came and got 20,” Otwell said. “Another jail had something happen, and they had to get rid of 30 quick. Well, we got our 20. And where back close to 10, so it's a yo-yo effect of how many they keep over.” The state reimburses the county jail for housing inmates other state jails cannot accommodate.

The court also discussed rising food, personnel and operational costs. Otwell said state reimbursement rates have not kept pace with inflation.

“When we first built the jail it was $28 [per day per inmate] then it went to $35, and I think it went to $37, and now it's $40,” Otwell said. “The cost of food, gas, everything it takes to run that building over there—$40 isn’t enough.”

He said he had already raised the issue with state officials. “I just hit them up back up there to see if there was something they can do to get these up around $50,” he said.

Hale reminded the court of a source of the increased costs to operate the jail: “One of the other things that's taking a lot of money from jail ... is the pay raises,” Hale said. “They needed it, they deserved it, they deserve more than what we can pay.”

Wilson emphasized that the court was not criticizing jail employees or the sheriff's office.

“We think we‘ve got some excellent workers,” Wilson said. “We’ve just got to strategize, cooperate, and come up with a system that's going to lead to the financial solvency of the Nevada County Jail.”

The court agreed to seek additional information from the sheriff's office and continue discussions at a future meeting.

Valarie Cobb, Director of the Prescott-Nevada County Chamber of Commerce followed with a report highlighting several community initiatives, beginning with summer activities at the Nevada County Library. “The whole month of July,” Cobb said, the library will be “doing different activities that are free of charge for our kids in our community.”

Cobb also reported on the opening of the Prescott Farmers Market season and said she plans to visit the successful Emmet Farmers Market to gather ideas that could help increase participation locally.

“They have a huge turnout at Emmet,” she said. “I'm going to go visit and see what they have going at Emmet, so we can maybe see if we can bring some of that to Prescott.”

Inspired by two young vendors who sold handmade fishing baits and flower arrangements at the market's opening day, Cobb said organizers are exploring the idea of a children's craft market. “I threw that on Facebook,” she said. “Lots of kids in our community do little things like that, make things, and so we're going to try to offer that.”

Cobb also promoted summer meal programs available through both the library and local schools for children up to age 18. Another upcoming event is a June 25^th presentation at the Nevada County Library concerning historic preservation tax credits.

“The chamber has scheduled Mr. [Revis] Edmonds from the Arkansas Heritage Division ... to come speak to our community about a tax credit that people can get here for historic buildings,” Cobb said.

Wilson also thanked Cobb for her work helping organize the upcoming Fred Thomas Day observance focused on mental health awareness and suicide prevention.

Cobb said the first annual event is scheduled for July 10^th.

“They want to bring mental health awareness more to our community,” she said. “I think that's a need for our community right now, especially for the young kids.”

Mary Godwin, Prescott-Nevada County Economic Development Office Director then briefed the court on a potential hazard mitigation grant that could provide funding for infrastructure and emergency preparedness projects.

“This is a grant that we are eligible to apply for,” Godwin said. “It is a hazard mitigation grant, but it is 75% grant and 25% that the county would have to put in to match it.”

Godwin outlined several eligible projects, including elevated bridges, larger culverts, warning sirens, generators for critical facilities, retention basins and other projects designed to reduce damage from natural disasters. She cautioned that regular maintenance projects such as ditch cleaning, resurfacing roads and routine repairs would not qualify.

When Wilson asked whether county-owned facilities could be used as in-kind matching funds, Godwin explained that requirements vary by project. “It has to be cash and some in kind, and it's very specific when it gets to in kind,” she said.

Godwin told the court the county could be granted as much as $300,000 through the program and suggested commissioners consider possible projects before making a decision.

After discussion, the court voted to table consideration of a resolution related to the grant until next month so additional research could be completed. “I want to research all those other things that the citizens had concerns about,” Godwin said, “and then that way I can present you more information.”

Before adjournment, Quorum Court members shared several additional announcements.

Justice of the Peace Patricia Grimes urged support for the upcoming Hempstead County hospital tax election.

“If you know of anybody in Hempstead County, you need to call and please tell them to vote for this hospital tax,” Grimes said. “Because we all know once you lose your hospital, you're not going to get it back.” Later Tuesday evening, the news emerged that the hospital tax had won by a large margin.

Grimes also asked residents to remember the family of Frank Henson following his recent passing. “He loved this community,” she said. “He loved the school system. He worked with them diligently for years.”

Pruitt praised recent road improvements near County Road 41 and asked Otwell about the costs involved. Otwell explained that donated materials valued at approximately $41,000 had been used to stabilize an area frequently damaged by logging traffic and drainage issues.

Both Pruitt and Grimes complimented county road crews for their work, with Grimes specifically noting that a grader operator had been “doing an excellent job.”

With no further business before the court, the meeting adjourned.