LAWTON – The Comanche County Detention Center will receive additional funds to help cover the cost of sending inmates to other counties.
The Comanche County Board of Commissioners voted 3-0 May 20 to grant CCDC interim administrator David Weber’s request for $150,000 for housing some inmates in out-of-county jails for the month of April. The money will come out of the county’s contingency fund.
Weber submits requests for additional funding to the commissioners instead of taking the money for sending inmates to other counties out of the jail’s regular budget, which affects the budget for the entire year, said Commission Chairman Josh Powers. He added that asking Weber to present his requests to the commission allows the board to keep track of the jail’s spending.
“Hopefully, we can come up with a more permanent solution in the near future,” Powers said. “But for now, we’ve got him submitting those monthly requests for review.”
Comanche County is sending some inmates to other counties in a bid to keep CCDC’s daily population under the state-mandated limit of 283 inmates. The county currently has inmate housing contracts with six other counties: Grady, Greer, Okmulgee, Pottawatomie, Seminole and Tillman counties.
In other business, the commission:
• Approved an interlocal agreement among the Comanche Nation, Comanche County District 3, Cache Public Schools and the City of Cache for rebuilding Route 7522, which serves the school district.
The Comanche Nation will cover $893,000 of the project cost, and the county will be responsible for any expenses over that amount, according to the agreement. The tribe will also work with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to provide engineering services for completing project designs, drawings, specificiations and cost estimates.
For its part, the county will secure any necessary easements, rights-of-way and construction permits. The county will also relocate all utilities before construction begins.
• Awarded to All Tech Air Conditioning a bid for buying and installing a new air purifier at the Comanche County Juvenile Detention Center.
All Tech Air Conditioning had the lowest bid at $14,947, according to the award statement.
The juvenile detention center plans to buy a REME-Halo ultraviolet light in-duct air purifier, which uses reflective electromagnetic energy and ultraviolet light to improve air quality. Funding for the purchase will come from the county’s share of American Rescue Plan Act money.