COLUMBIANA COUNTY Commissioners near contract to run jail

At least one annual increase in the jail cost is built into the pact.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- Columbiana County commissioners are close to reaching a jail operations contract with CiviGenics, the company that has been running the lockup for about six years.
The county is negotiating a new agreement because the contract CiviGenics has been operating under is set to expire at the end of December.
Commissioner Jim Hoppel said Wednesday that final details of the pact are still being worked out.
It appears certain, however, that the two sides have agreed on a rate to charge for housing prisoners at the county-owned lockup, Hoppel said.
Proposed rate
The proposed rate is $48.23 per prisoner, per day. That's about 3 cents less than is now charged, Hoppel said.
The tentative agreement also includes provisions for a three-percent increase in the rate on the first-year anniversary of the contract.
Additional increases also may be contained in the contract, but details aren't firm, Hoppel said.
The pact is expected to be for two years, with clauses for two two-year extensions, he added.
A final contract is expected to come before commissioners for a vote in about two weeks, Hoppel said.
The county spends about $2 million annually on prisoner housing.
Milford, Mass.-based CiviGenics was the only corrections company to bid on a new jail operations contract.
The county contracts with a private company to operate its jail because county officials say it's less expensive than having the sheriff's department run the lockup, which is the arrangement practiced by nearly all the other Ohio counties.
Estimated savings
Hoppel has estimated the county saves about $700,000 annually by having the jail run by a company.
Commissioners also addressed the issue of hunters seeking game on county land.
In the future, fewer hunters will be allowed to pursue game on about 100 acres of county-owned property along County Home Road in Center Township.
Commissioners authorized about 24 hunters to pursue game on the land this year.
That prompted Hoppel to say he's concerned that so many hunters in one place could lead to an accidental shooting.
He suggested that next year commissioners begin limiting the number of hunters to about 15.
Commissioners Sean Logan and Gary Williams said they agree.
leigh@vindy.com