Wayne County Commission — Committee on Public Safety, Judiciary, and Homeland Security, 2.26.2025 (missed first 25 min)

5:19PM Feb 26, 2025

Speakers:

Keywords:

Wayne County

detention equipment

HVAC

maintenance

budget adjustment

subcontractors

preventative maintenance

janitorial services

electronic systems

inmate safety

federal guidelines

property management

cost overruns

training

reporting.

It so that they can work on these systems. And I think the problem, frankly, I've warned Greg that he's going to have, is keeping these trades people around after they get these certifications, because they're going to be in demand from every every major building in the metro Detroit area. But that's a problem that we'll address as we go forward. So it's not only HVAC, it's also our detention equipment. And so if you were to go into ourselves the front door of one of our cells, it looks pretty much like the jail cells you've already seen instead of bars, we've got we've got glass and sliding doors and the like. But a cell is a cell is a cell, to some extent. But the important part there is what is happening inside of the cell with the locks and what we call the detention equipment. What we have been doing in our former jails, quite frankly, is not servicing those detention locks and the like on a regular basis, but waiting for something to break, that's not the way I want to do it in this new facility. And so we have gotten a proposal, and we are going to be working with Friedman to use CML, which is the company that manufactured those locks to come in and service those things on a regular basis, so that nothing breaks. And then we can, we can? We can maintain the safety of our inmates and our sheriff's devils. It's not just the locks, though. There are a host of bolts and other things that are locked down in that cell to hold up the bed, that hold up the tables, the deaths, the weird that the toilets and all of those things, the that secure the electronics within the cells that we need to make sure are also literally lock tight, because if they are not screws and other things can be used as weapons for other for inmate on inmate violence weapons to be used against our deputies, or, God forbid, when there are issues where they're not as tight as they can be, the possibility for ligature points where inmates can harm themselves inside of the cell. And so you have to maintain those things on a regular basis, and you have to check them, because life and screws do happen, and we have to make sure that that remains locked tight. So we have, we're looking to engage CML, the company that actually manufactured those things, to come and service it. Think of it as servicing your car. You've made sure the boats and all those things are tight. And we only need to mess up one time before something bad happens, and I'm sitting here in a closed session with you, having a very different conversation about something that's the front of the cell if you walk in, if you look behind the cell wall, it looks like a NASA control system. There is a host of computer electronics and boxes and other controls that literally make the jail run, that allow us to see which doors and cells are locked at a master control, both inside the cell, both inside the housing unit, and at places throughout the jail that unlock doors, that allow doors to slide and those sorts of things. Why you all know that we could always use, I'm not going to say shortage, but I'm telling you, we could always use more deputies inside the facility, if they can operate the facility, a housing unit the way it's designed to be operated, pushing a button to unlock a door and the like. Not only does that save time, but it's safer for them. And so all of that happens behind the wall with the security electronic systems that's manufactured and maintained by a company called accurate controls. And we want to make sure that they are maintaining those systems, to make sure that the jail and the doors, everything operates as it should. I told you that when the sprinkler breaks, the water shoots out into the cell. Some water shoots back into the wall behind it that has compromised at times the security electronics, and so having someone having a service maintenance agreement to make sure that stuff is operating properly is incredibly important. Other thing I'm going to talk about is televisions. We don't allow smoking in our jails anymore, and so a lot of the currency that we get is who's on television that day. We have about 350 television sets, literally throughout the ADF, the JDF, and the courthouse, and those systems are maintained by a system that we call IPTV. And that's not something that Greg's electronic electricians do, our customer doing on a on any sort of basis at all, but maintaining that is important. And if you had a deputy sitting here today, he will, he or she would tell you that it's important. That our inmates have the benefit of that it's not just watching Family Feud, also information about what's happening in the in the jail, and all those sorts of things are designed to come through that system. And so part of the service and maintenance agreement is working with a company called Conti who's already been working in the jail, not just as part of, not just as part of our service maintenance agreement, to make sure that those systems are maintained, so that when a deputy on housing unit 5b calls and says, There's something wrong, we can make sure we get a company out there who can work on that system. The first line of defense, though, is going to be the folks from Friedman who will come out, who are on site, who have assistant property managers on site, who go out there and run through, we're going to run through a checklist to see what's not, what's not plugged in properly, what might be kind of tuned up on site before we have to get to the company. But having that backstop isn't is incredibly important. And the last thing I'm going to talk about, before to turn over Greg, he's kicking me out of the table, is, is, is, is the cleaning. And, you know, we are enhancing the sort of cleaning that we're doing. The best thing about having a jail where we have six or 700 open door, open open housing units is that we can move inmates from place to place. What we want to do is have a yearly refresh of every cell at this facility so that we can come in STEAM, clean, power, wash, painting, checking those, those, those detention gray layer areas and the light that I discussed that's important, so that we can keep each cell looking to the extent possible, brand new, and that's a part of this process. These are things we've never done in our jails before. And this investment based on the partnership that the executive office and the Commission have had, this is an investment that will protect what we have achieved so far. And with that, I'll be happy to turn over Greg and take any questions that you have. Thank you so much.

Before great start, Greg, these he mentioned tradesmen. Yes, are these tradesmen? On these county employees?

So, Commissioner, I'm glad you mentioned that, because that's where I was going to start. All of these services still allow they basically run in tandem with what facilities is doing on site. So, for example, our we have a full house skill, trace, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, refrigeration and the like. And these are county employees. These are all. Those are all county employees. And what we're responsible for, as we did with the other buildings, if something broke, we fixed it. What we're doing now that's a little bit more I see new and improved is we're moving from buildings that were an average of about 60 years old to now this this complex that is brand new. And James mentioned, you know, we went from old boilers, which were a little more simple to operate, to now everything is electronically communicated throughout the area. So we're literally looking at a computer screen every day, day in and day out, to ensure the heating and the air conditioning is adequate in all areas of the building. No longer are we going to a particular wall and touching the thermostat. This is all digital. And what that means for our trades is that, you know, the one thing I will have to look up for the certifications, right? We speak to that there's truly a certification that our trades are going to take advantage of the training for to understand just this, the software that we're using within this new system, that is huge. Anytime we have an issue with the one of the HVAC unit, the trades are on site taking care of that. One of the unique things that we've had when we talk about Joe z if you will, is there have been issues that we've we've had throughout and really understanding and being able to function 100% confident we know every aspect of this system we're working with limb Bucha and Josie to make sure that that's something we can build ourselves. You know up to, I would say all of these, these services, didn't really reside within the FMP department. Previously, they could have been with other with other departments. What we've learned is, not only are they necessary, but I feel it's necessary for them to exist in a one stop shop as well. So then you have facilities management and planning who is overseeing not just what the trades are doing with all of our mechanical, electrical, plumbing and our overall safety systems. Now we have the addition of the manpower from Friedman, who's providing their expertise. So now I have a watchful eye and building my capacity as a. Team to manage our now we're doing the snow, the landscaping, the janitorial, and not just the janitorial, but to James's point, the increased janitorial. Now we're we're looking at, we were able to expand under this contract to a more robust janitorial company, which allows us to expertise of more deep cleaning. So any biohazard issues that you could have within a with any any housing unit, we're now able to take care of that, and that's no longer the responsibility of any other department. Now, you know, we've accepted that and said we would, we pushed, actually, as department, to take on those things, which leads to the capabilities of having someone 24/7 on site, so we don't have to utilize an outside company like a bill for so now, through the partnership with Friedman, we have the team on site, we have the materials on site to do the cleanings, and now we have a plan of action moving forward to clean areas that we've never cleaned before, to ensure that not only is the facility clean, but we do the refresh once a year in all the sales. So we tie that with our preventative maintenance that the trades are doing. So we're looking at from locks to Windows. We're looking at the paint in the cells. You know, refreshing that refinishing floors is necessary, all those different components that make up the functionality within a housing unit. Between this contract and our in house trades, we're looking at all of those items, and we're looking at it from the point of view of being proactive versus reactive. And that's what this allows us to do is continue to move forward and be proactive and and create that culture so that you know, 510, 1520, years from now, this building still looks the way to us today. That's the goal. Wonderful

Commissioner. Wilson, thank you, Madam Chair, first and foremost, you two gentlemen are awe inspiring speakers, very articulate, very eloquent, very voluminous, if you will. Having said that, look, get at the looking at this information I have before me from $24 million dollars to $55 million 120% 126% increase, somebody under the estimated big time. And when I look, when I say that, I mean this, you talked about the cleaning, there's a million dollars extra. Toilet paper, somebody under estimate, about a quarter million dollars. I can go right down the list. Probably can take me into an into but at the end of the day, I understand that we have to maintain this CSJ facility, and I understand that it was even, I think, the cost that were originally we estimated were way below what eventually cost of the citizens of Wayne County. So as we all are here, sitting as stewards, if you will, over the taxpayers money, I just see a lot of a lot of monies here, that sort of compounds me, if you will. I know that we approved a budget for $2.3 billion and seems like everybody their mother is looking to get in line to get some of that. And obviously there's a reason that we approved $2.3 billion but if we look at projects like this, and I know it's worthy and it's needed, but I ain't trying to go to jail get a steak. I ain't trying to go to jail to get a, you know, to get a full fledged meal we don't want to make. And I know that's not what you're trying to do, but at the end of the day, are we, is it attractive to go to jail? I mean, I can get a steak. You said there's a kitchen and cafeteria and all that great stuff. I've never been in jail before, except for to take a few, you know, few visits. But it's not supposed to be enticing. Obviously, it's supposed to be a deterrent for people breaking the law. And so we have this state of the art C criminal justice system that I haven't viewed yet, because I've been on the commission for about 38 days, but I do look forward to visiting the facility and taking a look at some of the things over there. So I don't misspeak. But I say all that to say this, these are very, I guess, grandiose. Ask, if you will, this type of money when you talk about 126% increase in the budget, as you absolutely astronomical. But again, if we're trying to do state of the art, obviously these costs probably can, can, can be justified. But again, I just have just a slight problem with all of this. All. These miscalculations, all of these, the shortcomings that we estimated in the out from the outset and now towards the end, we're asking increase the budget by 126% absolutely incredulous from our standpoint. But again, being a new commissioner, also make sure that I don't, I don't undercut what you're trying to do. Because I think you gentlemen, I try to do an excellent job. And you're, you're trying to make sure that this building is looking the same way today, that it will be looking 25 years from now, thinking, brother, heck, I wish my house like that as well. You know, it don't look as good as it did, and I don't know how much money I was going to invest in it before I get a new one, but I do appreciate what you all are saying, but it's just something that kind of heavy, perplexed, but I'll end it there. Okay,

thank you very much. Let me, let me say a few words. Yeah, thank you, Madam Chair, Commissioner Wilson, we lived through some hard times with the previous jails, and hopefully we learned lessons from that, because when it fails, we're under the hammer. I hear what you're saying about perhaps we are making it too easy to be an inmate. However, we are under federal guidelines, and we have been under federal guidelines for a number of years to make to make sure that we are treating them humanely. And I think that that's our objective, is to treat them humanely, I would suggest. And I had an eye opener when I went to the facility. I think we all will get It's massive. It's massive because I I thought that I was going to walk into a facility where you where you go in each building you enter outside the building. What I discovered is that you can enter those different buildings from inside one building. I and there was another thing that really impressed me, if the power goes out throughout the whole county, state, whatever the grid, remember What happened before? They're self sustaining. They've got their own power grid. And I, I would venture to try to describe it as a generat, only 500 500,000 times the size of my generat. And and that to me, is comforting to know that the public at large, should the grid go down, are not vulnerable to breaks or anything of that sort. I understand totally. We're talking big money here and but I know in my own home, preventative maintenance is utterly necessary. If I don't have my direct service once a year, then I'm not going to feel comfortable that when I need it, it's going to operate properly. So I just wanted to impart some some of those, some of these things, some of you, but I lived through this. I lived through articles about the jails not being maintained, and the Feds coming in here and writing us up. So just, I just wanted to impart that into you. Thank you, Madam Chair, and my first suggestion is to go over there and look at that facility. I am sure that the average person does not necessarily want to spend any time there, you know, even if they did serve state, but, but it's humane, and that's what we have to make sure as commissioners that we are, even though, you know, because They haven't been adjudicated yet, they're, they're over there, and until they're found guilty, you know they're, they're innocent, so you've got to treat them humane, even if it costs us an arm and a leg. Okay? How? You. Thank

you, Madam Chair. In our analysis packet, there is a question at the very end under fiscal concerns, question number 10 that was not answered by the administration. Does the Budget Adjustment need to be made to accommodate? It wasn't the science or need mine. Can we get an answer? Does the Budget Adjustment need to be made to accommodate the 2.6 increase, million dollar increase?

The answer is yes. There is going to be a budget adjustment. And and, you know, one of the issues, thankfully, is that there was some savings in this first year because we actually moved into the facility later than we anticipated. And, and so FNP is working with him and be to make sure that the appropriate Budget Adjustment, if this contract is approved, is submitted before the commission, so there will be a budget adjustment, and then in subsequent years,

part of the budget that you all approve of the normal course will include those years. To add to that, it looks like, from our preliminary looks at our budget. It looks like we can do that budget adjustment from within the current funding, versus having to ask for additional funds to be added to the budget. So looks like we'll be through fiscal year 25

make them knock on wood. Guard.

Commissioner,

thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you Mr. Hearst, Mr. Heath. I appreciate the presentation on this. I have a couple questions. One of them, I actually went over with you, Mr. Heath yesterday, but just wanted to clarify the contract term. So we're going from the 2026 term end to 2028 so exercising those two one year options to renew now so that it will come to an end in 2020 is that correct? That's

correct. And so you're right about that. And so, you know, I think when I came to you in December of 2023 I didn't know that we were going to be extending the contract for those two years. And so, you know, that's part of the lessons, lessons learned. This was a new a new arrangement for us. We didn't have property managers helping with county projects. We didn't have a facility 1.2 million square feet before either. And so I didn't really know how it's going to work out. What I can tell you now is that it's been a smashing success. And so if I had been as smart then as I am now, I would have asked for a five year term, but I asked for three years and two years, so I'm asking you to exercise those additional two years. And so that's that's a long answer to a short question. Commissioner,

no problem. So subsequent contracts, whether it be with Friedman or anyone else, after that 2028, expiration date, would come back to this to this body, correct. Okay. Last question I have is subcontractor performance. One of the things that I noticed here is obviously a lot of subcontractors under Friedman, and Friedman being the overarching controller. What's happening over there? I think I My question is, is, how do we hold those subcontractors accountable? And what are the remedies that the county has to make sure that we're holding contractors accountable, whether it be Friedman or subcontractors under Friedman, to make sure they're performing correctly. And there's a lot of them, so I wanted to make sure that we're we have that conversation of what, how the county is protected in this when we're looking at so many contracts.

So I'll ask it on the on the macro level with respect to Freeman, and I'll let Greg talk a little bit about how the subs are managed. But if the county determines at some point that this is not working out with free we have the option to terminate the contract. And that's, you know, that's, that's not unlike the other contracts that you enter into, in very general terms. And so we maintain that right? And this is always going to be the county, understanding what is in our best interest, and in going in that direction as to the subs, because I think there are some very specific, at least one very specific example that I think Greg would want to point out as the subs work. Yeah.

So Commissioner Garza, thank you for that question. So within the contract between the county and Friedman, Friedman, it also states that Friedman is responsible with their subcontractors on our behalf to have KPIs built into their contracts with the subs. So we we talk to them, and have a responsibility monthly, is the Friedman submits to the FM team the KPIs and their their performance evaluation of those subs. Subsequently. At those monthly meetings, the FM team discusses the performance to make sure we're all in line with what we see and what they see with the subs. One sub specifically where we made a change. We didn't necessarily cut ties with that sub, but we realized there's an expertise with the subcontractor where we needed a little bit more robust manpower with and that goes to the janitorial services. We talked about the increased services we have now in the jails or in the housing units, I would say, the secured housing units in both ADF and JDF, we weren't when I say we FMP was not responsible at the start of the contract for maintaining the secured areas, and this also Commissioner Wilson goes to why we increase the janitorial cost. So now that we we've realized from our lessons learned that there's the Biohazard, there's the flood type, cleanups, things like that, we went back and partnered with Freeman to figure out who is the best local company to work with those types of services, bringing those types of services to the CJC and so with that, based on the KPIs, our needs, and then being, you know, responsive, we were able To leverage an additional vendor to come in and provide those services at the CJC. So that's one example of the FMP team managing the contract with Friedman, and Friedman ie managing their subs based on the language built into the contract for the checks and balances to ensure that we're receiving not only adequate services, but services performed at the expectations that we're looking for.

Thank you. That's that's actually really good system. You have to keep, keep that system going with subs and through Friedman. But that's all I have, Madam Chair. Thank you so much,

Felicia. Felicia, our General Counsel, would like to weigh in right now

through the chair to this honorable body. This is somewhat of a follow up to Commissioner Garza question. Takes a little of my thunder. But this matter was discussed at cops committee yesterday, but it's before this body for a vote, and one of the concerns and recommendations out of that body, out of the committee from yesterday, I wanted to run by you all, since you will be voting for it, and it's as it relates to the subcontractor. So the unique aspect of having a property manager is that those contracts don't go through the county's normal process. They don't come here before you for approval. And so while when you approve this contract initially, there were 10 subcontractors, they're proposing to add 14, which would mean 24 potential contracts that wouldn't come through this body. And so what was requested at committee yesterday was ensuring that there's some level of reporting back to the body with regards to the subcontractor. So I want to read to you the language we put in the resolution since you're voting, and you can advise me if you want it to be a little more robust, and you can also revise me if you want to give me some guidelines for timing of the reporting, because that was not provided yesterday. So what we included in the resolution is that the Department of facilities management and planning shall submit periodic reports to the Wayne County Commission regarding the status of subcontractors and the progress of work at the criminal justice conflict and its related parking and warehouse facilities, and that way you all will get additional reporting periodically, again, if you want timing for that quarterly or something, please let me know, and I'll change that resolution. But I just wanted you to know that that was a recommendation out of the committee yesterday, and I'm bringing it before you, because you're actually voting on the item. Thank you, Madam Chair, thank

you for weighing in and and I believe that that is a valid concern, and it ought to be a specified reporting back. I'm going to wait,

I take exception to that and that it's a good idea. I think it's an excellent idea, and we would be happy to do that. So thank you for that commission Council, and it's something that we welcome.

Okay, Commissioner Clemente, thank

you. Thank you for bringing that up and this conversation, because it I was on the committee yesterday, but so when they're reporting, who are they reporting to? Because we have a CJ see special committee that is continuing if I'm correct. And so where will the reporting be done? So

like most items that ultimately will be determined by the chairwoman. She may deem it appropriate to go to the CJC committee, just because it's the CJC committee. However, if this committee decides that you want and I'm sure that those reports can also come before you, okay,

and I do agree that we should, but when, so that at least you have some time frame and just to. To Commissioner Wilson, I know you're new, and I was relatively new. I only got one chance to go there. There, yeah, so the, I think that this facility is quite amazing, and we really do want to make sure that we're maintaining it for not only the jail part of it, but also our courts are there. It's quite the complex. So the monies that we are spending, we and you said it's going to be look like this 25 years later. So I think it's very important that we are proactive and making sure that everything is taken care of so thank you,

Commissioner Dobbs, did you have something to add? Who else? Oh, yes,

I apologize one, one last comment. So Council indicated that this relationship with freedmen being property managers have been very beneficial to the county. It was kind of indicated that we don't have another property management relationship. But I just want to put out on the table that we do have a property manager for this building in the First Street garage, and if the relationship with Friedman is great and working, perhaps we can use that as a model for the management for this building and First Street, because we don't have a contract in those type of detailed relationships that perhaps will be beneficial, such as they are for the CJ, yeah, I

agree. I absolutely agree. Okay, okay, so time is fleeting, something we don't have

just wanted to make sure, because I know that it right now, it says periodically, which is ambiguous, to putting a timeframe, whether that be quarterly or every six months, to report on this, so that there is a specified time to do that.

So what would be the suggestion of this? Body about the timing reporting, the time that we report request a report,

I would, I would suggest every six months to the but it's up to the body of what they'd like to do. You

have the problem every six months? No, okay, yeah, twice a year, last year, yes, I think that's official, yeah, okay, Felicia or general counsel that that is that recommendation. We'll make that change. Okay, all right, okay, so we have this is a complex issue, and this is not something that we take lightly, but we also know that we've been on the fire, the the juvenile detention facility. We were crucified for our treatment of them. I've not heard any complaints since they've been in the new building. Maybe we haven't had enough time, but they too are, you know, they are. Many of them have not been adjudicated. They haven't been found guilty of anything, so we have to treat them like they are innocent. And so we this is an investment that I feel that we're going to have to make to make sure that we are not the feds are not are we still under court order?

So you recall that there was an investigation that began in 2018 November, and the court order that we've been under for decades, yes and decades, ended when we opened the new facility. But you recall there was a settlement agreement on a new investigation that began in 18 for ADA violations that started in the old facility, and the DOJ is not We convinced them not to stop monitoring until six months after we got into the new facility, because we needed to learn the place and the like. And so the feds are involved with us, and that's a process being spearheaded by hhbs. So they are coming to look at our facility, and so that's another reason why we have to make sure that we are meeting the highest standards to meet our obligations to the Department

of Justice. Okay, so I just want to thank our staff for being available and being on top of this is a very important issue. We don't want to you know, I live through the failed jail situation as well. So I am. I want to be ridiculous. I want to make sure that the investment that we made using our taxpayer dollars to. To create this building, the or the complex that it remains in the condition that it's in right now. So if there are anything else, Felicia, you have anything else to say? Okay, so I'm comfortable that our general counsel has been on confidence because she could, she's she's not that easy to deal with, too

nice, but she's tough.

So if you know if, if she's comfortable with it, then so am I. So we want to, we want to take a vote on this now.

We have a motion by Commissioner dobb and the support by Commissioner Garza,

right? So if there are any other comments or questions or anything from commission members, anything else, nothing. Okay, all right, then, if there's no if there are no other comments, then that's

we have an abstention by Commissioner Wilson. Okay. Motion carried. Okay,

all right. Next item, and thank you very much for thank you all very much for coming out. Oh, one last thing before you leave. When when Josie leaves, what happens? Or is he going to stay around or stay if

the contract is approved? Because

Josie needs to train the other people, that's right, and that's going to be his job. We're

getting more and we're getting more Josie types. We're covered. Josie is going to be here. Okay, very good. Thank you very much.

Okay, and thanks for coming. Okay. Next item, Madam Clerk, moving

back to the agenda. F, such other matters as may be properly submitted before the committee. And

I have not been informed of any.

G, public comments.

Okay, our lines open. The lines are open. Okay. So it is now time for public comment. If there's anyone on the phone or zoom or even here in the chamber, if there's anyone who would like to make a comment, please do so at this time. Second Call for public comment, if you like to comment on it at this committee meeting, then I invite you to do it now. Last call for public comment. And then, how about emails? Do we have an email? No emails? Okay, very good. So if there are no other, if there are no comments, or at this time, then public comment is closed. Next item, a chairman. Do I have an emotional motion? Okay? This meeting is adjourned, all in favor, okay?