The Unicoi County Commission voted to allow Sheriff Mike Hensley to contract with a company for emergency plumbing repairs at the jail during Monday’s meeting.
The repairs would fix the plumbing in one large cell of the Unicoi County Jail and would include replacement fixtures. The price of the repairs will be determined prior to their start.
“We have one cell in particular that’s in dire need of repair,” said Unicoi County Mayor Garland Evely. “It houses multiple inmates there, and so we hope to go ahead and get that one cell, as soon as we can, get the fixtures replaced in there.”
Some commissioners expressed concern at only having one quote on the price.
“I think we should have more than one quote before we just pay somebody whatever they want to charge to come in and do the repairs,” Commissioner Jason Harris said.
Other commissioners pointed out the immediate need for the repairs.
“On this one section, it’s in dire need,” Commissioner John Mosley said. “It’s really, really bad. And they are housing like 15 prisoners in that one section there. And it’s a bad situation.”
The commission voted 7-1 to approve allowing the sheriff to contract with the company to repair the plumbing in the cell, with Commissioner Brian Delp absent.
Also during the meeting, commissioners were introduced to the new Unicoi County Health Department Director Jaime Hensley. Hensley has served with the Unicoi County Health Department since 2018 and has served as director for a few weeks.
“She’s already been working in this county,” former Unicoi County Health Department Director Michelle Ramsey said. “She has lots of partnerships. She’s working with the schools, with the library, the senior center, Governor’s Bend, YMCA — I can’t name them all. You’ve probably seen her everywhere. So she knows our county, and we’re very fortunate that she stepped up and wanted to do this.”
The next Unicoi County Commission meeting will be Aug. 28 at 6 p.m. at the Unicoi County Courthouse.
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