Grey County Council is not prepared to consider any capital investments to the Owen Sound Jail.
If Chatsworth Mayor Howard Greig has his way, that’s an attitude that won’t soon change.
County council rejected a motion by the county’s finance and personnel committee regarding current and future capital expenditures at the aging facility.
The committee asked director of housing Rod Wyatt to prepare a request for tender for areas of the roof which have a life expectancy of less than two years.
Wyatt was also asked to hire a structural engineer to review the integrity of the jail’s stone exterior courtyard regarding health and safety concerns raised by the provincial Ministry of Correctional Services, and to provide an estimate for any required repairs.
The county was also asked to pay a 420 dollar electrical bill for repairs to exterior lighting.
Greig moved to send the entire matter back to the finance committee, pointing out that although the county owns the jail, the province operates it and should be responsible for all costs associated with its upkeep.
He notes that the province only pays the county a little over 100 thousand dollars per year on its lease, and that amount won’t come close to covering the expected repair costs.
Greig says paying for even the slightest repairs to the facility also sets a dangerous precedent and the county should not be expected to subsidize the province for the operation of a jail.
The majority of his fellow county councillors agreed with him, and the matter will go back to finance and personnel for further examination.