ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) —Dougherty County commissioners are changing course on how they plan to address problems with the county jail.

Commissioners rejected a $260,000 design contract and rescinded a more than $4.5 million HVAC and plumbing project approved last month.

Instead, commissioners will spend up to $2.1 million in SPLOST funds to repair and upgrade the jail’s existing HVAC and boiler systems. The money will also go toward needed jail locks.

Commissioner Clinton Johnson says the county does not want to spend millions on new equipment while the future layout of the 30-year-old jail is still being discussed.

“Because the footprint of that jail may change. So, it wouldn’t make sense for us to install $4 million worth of equipment. And then he comes back and says, well, I need to change my footprint. And now that material could be obsolete. So, we are going to repair what we have because we know what it can do for us,” Johnson said.

Johnson said the $2.1 million project is expected to be completed by April of next year. He said the work will give the county time to determine what direction the jail will take in the future.

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