JOHN COFFELTEditor

A bullet list of maintenance needs at the Coffee County Jail was listed during a Jan. 11 Law Enforcement Committee Meeting.

Sheriff Chad Partin told commissioners that the jail’s problematic boilers were again having issues.

“We have to stay on top of this maintenance,” he said. “If we don’t, this stuff is going to get away from us at the jail.”

“We’re starting to really have some serious maintenance issues with water valves and leaks,” Partin said.

He also reported that the jail roof is separating along the edges and water is entering between the walls. Partin is optimistic that the roof can be patched rather than replaced.

The sheriff cautioned that he would likely need to add some capital project items into his 2023-24 budget requests.

The Coffee County Sheriff’s Department has contracted with Lee Company to perform HVAC unit maintenance.

Twice a year, Lee Company will change the belts, filters and clean the coils on all the units for just under $10,000, Partin said.

Partin said that when the jail was built, HVAC units are a now-shuttered brand that one local air repair company, Stroops Heating and Air,had not heard of.

Lee was recommended by Stroop to service the larger, commercial-sized units.

The units were not included in the TRANE energy saving program that updated some of the county’s air units.

The battery backups for the computer systems at the jail are in need of replacing as is the facility’s camera system.

“Chief (Frank) Watkins has been taking bids on our camera system at the jail. We’re seeing the end of life on them, and, of course, the company that installed them is no longer in business,” Partin said.

He said that those two purchases are not optional. He said that almost daily his department will receive requests from attorneys and even the District Attorney’s Office for footage from the jail concerning alleged incidents.

The department’s motor pool building located behind the jail will likely soon see its first new coat of paint since its construction in 1982.

Partin asked Volunteer Paint for an estimate for painting the exterior and the roof.

“The interior is something we can do in-house,” Partin said.

Partin announced that the jail has received its annual Tennessee Department of Corrections certification.

The Coffee County Jail was built in 2013, but not certified for months after. The ten-year-old facility has been plagued with repair issues since its construction.

John has been with the Manchester Times since May 2011. John has won Tennessee Press Association awards for Best News Photo and placed in numerous other categories. John is a 1994 graduate of Tullahoma High School, a graduate of Motlow State Community College and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middle Tennessee State University. He lives in Tullahoma, enjoys painting, dancing and exploring the outdoors.