By HOLLY GASKILL
Well over a year after Ameresco reported the Wells County Jail renovation was nearly complete, several “punch list” items have remained unfinished.
Many of the final repairs are small, like a gap in the floor. However, there continue to be issues with HVAC. Sheriff Scott Holliday told the commissioners Monday that representatives from Ameresco had said they were “working behind the scenes.”
The county is withholding the final payment of $40,000 until work is completed. Holliday reported Ameresco said they “just needed a little more time” and understood that payment would be withheld. The warranty period on the renovation, excluding equipment, will not begin until final payment.
Meanwhile, the jail has also continued to work through issues with leaking pipes. Earlier this year, Holliday identified cracked cast iron pipes in the administrative portion of the building. He later discovered the issue was throughout the building. He requested an additional appropriation of $10,000 for the repairs from the Wells County Council on Tuesday.
In a quarterly report to the council, Holliday said that K-9 Letty’s handler resigned and the department was forced to sell the dog. The force is currently understaffed due to two resignations, a new hire being trained, and a deputy on medical leave, and Holliday could not find another deputy who wanted to be a K-9 handler. He said the department recouped the cost of purchasing and training the dog.
K-9 Letty started working with the Sheriff’s Department earlier this year, shortly before K-9 Leo’s retirement. Neither the Bluffton Police Department nor WCSD has a K-9, but Holliday said an area state officer does.
While the department is hiring, Holliday hopes to recruit someone with an interest in becoming a K-9 handler. Holliday also stated he would approach the council with a request to pay out vacation time at the end of the year since the department staff is stretched thin.
At both county meetings, Holliday shared concerns about the resignation of David Teeple from the county’s IT Department. Teeple worked two half-days a week at the jail due to the significant technology support needed.
According to Holliday, Teeple will work as an independent contractor and part-time for Reliance, the city of Bluffton’s IT provider. Holliday proposed the county work out a contract with Reliance and Teeple — at least until someone is hired and trained for the role. Teeple will continue working for the jail through Nov. 8, Holliday said.
On Monday, Holliday reported 75 inmates housed in the Wells County Jail — 40 were pre-trial holds from the Circuit Court, 21 from the Superior Court, five for the Department of Correction and three Level 6 felons.
The Wells County Council also adopted their 2025 budgets on Tuesday 5-0; members Scott Elzey, Todd Mahnensmith, Brandon Harnish, Steve Huggins and Brian Lambert were in favor, and Vicki Andrews and Seth Whicker were absent.
However, Harnish added a caveat before the vote, saying, “We discussed the Community Corrections budget during the (budget) hearings. This will be the last time I vote for a budget with a Community Corrections budget that looks the way that one does — $136,000 for the county contribution to Community Corrections. There are other models.”
Harnish joined the Community Corrections Advisory Board this year, and in August budget hearings, voiced frustration that the department wasn’t self-funded with its relatively low numbers. On Tuesday, he suggested the department be absorbed by probation.
He continued, “We’ll be looking into this, but I want to bring this body something better than what we currently have — whether that is putting Community Corrections under probation, whether that is a model that I’m unaware of at this point. Next year at this time, I intend to bring something back to council.”
“I think it’ll be a good discussion over time, especially coming up before next year’s budget,” Huggins concluded.
holly@news-banner.com
