ASHLAND -- At their Thursday morning meeting, the Ashland County Commissioners took an early step towards adding new cell area to the Ashland County Jail.Â
The Commissioners authorized entering contract negotiations with The Seckel Group for the alteration of an interior waiting room into a cell area for five inmates.Â
"This is the first step. We're hiring an architect, so they'll go over it and give us their price," said Commissioner Mike Welch.Â
According to the Corrections Division's website, the facility has a capacity of 127 inmates and a staff of 34 officers. On January 15, the Ashland County Sheriff's Office listed 129 active inmates. Â
The most recent Corrections Division year end report shows 2,048 inmates were booked in 2018. Booking increased by 5 percent between 2015 and 2016 and by 7 percent more between 2016 to 2017.
"More cells, more criminals," Welch said.Â
In other news from Thursday's meeting:Â
-- Commissioners approved an agreement with Mannik & Smith Group for 2020 landfill monitoring services at a cost not exceeding $71,615 for the year.
-- Ashland County Treasurer Angela S. McQuillen shared that Ashland County received interest amounting to $622,115.79 on investments made by the County Treasurer in the fourth quarter of 2019.Â
