By Dennis Brown

Lewis County Fiscal Court met in regular session last week and heard that due to overcrowding at the jail the Department of Corrections will not be placing any more state inmates at the facility.

Jailer Tim Underwood reported that he had heard from officials with the Department of Corrections concerning the situation at the jail and that some changes have been made at the facility to help alleviate the problem.

Underwood said some changes had been made on the portion of the jail designed to hold state inmates and now allows for some county inmates to be held in that portion, but that it’s only a temporary solution.

Underwood stated the facility needed to add on to provide for more housing for the inmates and expanding the facility is not feasible at this time.

Underwood said that state inmates now housed at the jail will remain there until they are pardoned out or serve out their time over the next several months. He said the lack of state inmates will result in less income to the county being paid by the state to house the inmates and fewer state inmates will also result in less manpower being available to the county and city as the inmates are released to help with various projects and to clean along roadways.

Underwood suggested the possibility of district inmates being utilized for working outside the detention center to provide manpower where the state inmates are currently working.

Underwood also requested that magistrates approve hiring some temporary help to provide another deputy jailer to cover a post to watch over the county inmates being housed on the state side of the detention center.

He said the way the jail is laid out, and with rulings by the Department of Corrections, a deputy jailer must be posted near where the county prisoners are being held. Magistrates approved the request for overtime and to get some temporary help to cover the added shifts.

Underwood said officials with the Department of Corrections were scheduled to be back at the jail and would continue to make recommendations concerning the overcrowding situation there.

County Attorney Clayton “Buddy” Lykins Jr. said he had met with Underwood, Judge Executive Steve Applegate, the circuit and district judges and officials with the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office concerning a monitoring device for some of the county inmates which could help to alleviate the overcrowding problem at the jail.

Lykins said that over the past few years more emphasis had been placed on some issues including domestic violence and DUI. He said that along with more law enforcement officers the problem of overcrowding has been escalated.

He noted that a major problem with overcrowding is prisoners who can’t make bail are awaiting trial in felony cases. He said that those prisoners sometimes are incarcerated for several months and there is no compensation provided to the county during that time.

“We’re on the radar for the Department of Corrections,” Lykins said. “A plan is needed to alleviate the overcrowding 

issue, if we don’t come up with a solution, they will come up with one for us.”

Lykins said setting up a system to monitor some of the inmates without having to house them at the jail could help with the problem.

Lykins said inmate participants in the program would be fitted with a monitoring device and would be restricted to a specific area. If they stray from that area, officials would be notified and the participant would be picked up and returned to the jail.

He said there could be some financial benefits for the county because the county would not have to pay housing fees on the participants and the costs of the monitoring instruments and fees could be recouped from participants.

Lykins said there are two types of monitoring systems under consideration and that judges have the authority to order when and on whom the systems are used.

He said a protocol would have to be developed for use of the monitoring systems.

Magistrates approved moving ahead on implementing the monitoring systems and Lykins said he would continue to study the matter to get the program up and running soon.

In other business last week, magistrates declined a request to change the name of Simmons Road at Tollesboro to Walker Pike Road.

Judge Executive Steve Applegate said he had heard some opposition to the name change and the process to change the name could become involved because of the steps involved in getting mapping changes approved.

Road Foreman Dane Howard addressed magistrates concerning adopting some of the cemetery access roads into the county road system to possibly get more funding assistance for the road department. Howard said the county has maintained many cemetery roads for several years.

Lykins said he had some concerns about the legal aspect of adopting the roads and noted the county can’t spend public funds to maintain a private cemetery road.

Magistrates approved the annual review of the Lewis County Fiscal Court Administrative Code and accepted 2009 fee settlements from the county clerk and sheriff’s offices.

Magistrates also approved a proclamation recognizing February as teen dating violence awareness month in Lewis County.

The matter was tabled until more information on the matter was obtained.

Magistrates discussed bridge replacement projects on Manley Hollow Road and Greenlawn Road and also talked about applying for funding to place guardrail along a section of roadway near Cottageville.

Magistrate Joe Bentley said he had heard from a constituent concerning transfer time with the ambulance service in the county and Magistrate Paul Bruce Swearingen said he urges everyone to participate in the upcoming Census count.

Magistrates heard officials monthly reports and approved payment of bills and minutes before adjourning.

Lewis County officials presented their monthly activity reports during the January meeting of Lewis County Fiscal Court.

Sheriff Bill Lewis filed his department’s report for activities from December 14, 2009, to January 11, 2009:

* Subpoenas Served   21

* Domestic Related Calls   88

* Civil Summons Served   33

* Felony Arrests   14

* Misdemeanor Arrests   15

* Accident Investigations    7

* Juvenile Investigations   21

* Criminal Summons   9

* Prisoners Transp. to Secure Facility   685 miles

* DVOs and EPOs   4

* Court Bailiff Hours   461

* Prescription Deliveries   2

* Auto Inspections   68

* Funeral Escorts   8

Property Taxes Collected   $422,062.28

Franchise Taxes Collected   2,553.39

Total   $424,615.67

Stolen Property Recovered

* Safe & Coins   $25,324.00

* Guns   4,000.00

Total   $29,324.00

Lewis County Emergency Management Director Carl Chaney reported the following activities:

* Performed all routine administrative/office tasks as required by KyEM.

* Turned in all monthly reports for KyEM.

* Participated in an EM assessment for Fleming County.

* Provided dispatch coverage.

* Attended a County Fire Association meeting.

* Working on FEMA paperwork.

* Working on 911 issues.

* Working of Flood Plain issues.

The Lewis County E-911 Dispatch Center received a total of 372 calls for service for the following agencies:

* Sheriff’s Department   120

* Vanceburg Police Department   90

* Traffic Stops   11

* Injury Accidents   12

* Non-injury Accidents   18

* Complaints   25

Fire Department and other calls:

* Lewis Co. FD   3

* Camp Dix FD   5

* Garrison FD   10

* Vanceburg FD   4

* Firebrick FD   5

* Black Oak FD   6

* Kinniconick FD   3

* Tollesboro FD   16

* Med Corp Ambulance   105

* Coroner   2

* Emergency Medical Assistance   3

* Non-Computer Aided Dispatch Events   548

Road Supervisor Dane Howard reported that more than 921 tons of gravel and 21.46 tons of asphalt had been hauled over the previous month. He added the department had spread 325 tons of salt.

Graded roads included Bethel Church Road, Trinity Station Hill, East Fork Church Road and Slate Hollow.

Howard reported that pipe had been installed or repaired at Crooked Creek, Buck Lick Road, Stone Branch/Davis Fork and Gerike Road.

Tree and debris removal/brush cutting/mowing was reported for Perry Branch Road and Firebrick Road.

Drainage repairs were reported on Lumpy Lane while other repairs were reported on Abe Thomas Road, Poole Branch, Bill Chain, Highfield Lane, Gander Branch and Perry Branch Roads.

Howard also reported a road reconstruction project on Firebrick Indian Run Road and Fuller Branch.

Lewis County Jailer Tim Underwood filed the following activity report for December 1 – 31, 2009:

Inmate Population:

* State Inmates CC/CD/CI   34

* Traded   0

* Served Out   1

* Paroled   2

* County Inmates   46

* Inmates Booked In   44

* Average Daily Jail Population   72

Fees/Payments Collected:

* Booking, Housing, Medical, Damaged Property   $3,738.53

* Telephone Commission   $2,268.78

* Class D/CC/CI Pay for July   $29,271.56

Food

* Somerset Food in December  $6,641.31

Traveled 200 Miles

* Blackburn Correctional Complex

Underwood reported that 31 Class D inmates participated in the work program totaling 3,600 man hours. The agencies they assisted included The Lewis County Courthouse, Justice Center, Sheriff’s Department, City of Vanceburg, Solid Waste Program, Clean Highways Program, Garrison Little League, Garrison Boat Docks, Tollesboro Little League, Lewis County Historical Society, Lewis County Board of Education, Corps of Engineers, Helen Rayburn Library, and the Black Oak, Tollesboro and Camp Dix Fire Departments.

Areas covered by the Clean Highways Program included Garrison Boat Dock, Dudley Avenue, Ky. Rt. 9, Rock Run, Ky. Rt. 8/AA Highway at Garrison, Quincy to Firebrick and Quincy to Red Barn Lane. A total of 112 bags of waste were picked up.

Underwood reported the commissary account at the jail totaled $11,102.79 and the inmate account had a balance of $7,656.88.

Lewis County Animal Control Officer Shawn Henderson reported that for the previous month: no dogs had been tagged; none adopted; 27 picked up; 45 dropped off; 15 sent to rescues and 26 put down. He reported the center received 118 incoming telephone calls.