Cape Girardeau County OKs change order, approves vehicle sale and purchases

Cape Girardeau County Commissioners voted Monday to OK a contract change with St. Louis-based Trutest Solutions to include the existing county jail in Jackson for an environmental study assessment, or ESA.

Commissioners OK'd an ESA in November with St. Louis-based Sitex for the now-vacant 1908 courthouse, which the county is planning to repurpose.

"(Last year's authorization) didn't include a jail study so we voted to make sure that happened," said Presiding Commissioner Clint Tracy, who said the jail will be "remediated" by Trutest.

"(Trutest) will go through the building looking for asbestos and any environmental hazards that need addressing."

The county's old jail, built in 1979, and the newer facility built in 2000, are now interconnected.

On Aug. 25, commissioners voted to approve a financing plan to expand the lockup substantially by mid-2024 to relieve overcrowding.

Vehicles

At the request of county Prosecuting Attorney Mark Welker, the commission gave the green light Monday to purchasing a 2019 Ford Police Interceptor vehicle for $24,000 from the state Highway Patrol.

Last week, upon request by Deputy County Assessor Tony Smee, commissioners agreed to allow two Ford Escape cars, one a 2008 model, the other built in 2009, to be put up for auction.

Proceeds, when realized, will return to the assessor's budget, he said.

Smee said the cars needed "significant work" and had high mileage.

The assessor's office already has replaced the vehicles with two Ford Explorers, built in 2019 and 2020, respectively, from the Highway Patrol.