The St. Joseph County Jail will soon undergo renovations to better protect against COVID-19 infections. Staff photo by Michael Caterina
SOUTH BEND — Renovations to better protect the St. Joseph County Jail from COVID-19 and safety assessments for other county buildings are being put on the fast track for completion before the end of the year.
St. Joseph County commissioners plan to spend up to $3 million of the $8.7 million they received in federal coronavirus relief funding on the work. The CARES Act money is supposed to be used before next year for expenses related to the pandemic.
Commissioners recently approved two agreements with local engineering and design firm DLZ to do the work.
Between $2 million and $2.5 million is to be spent on renovations at the jail, and another $125,000 on the assessment of at least 18 other county-owned or operated buildings.
The work is being done to “promote the safety and security” of employees and visitors to county buildings during the coronavirus pandemic, with guidance on preparing workplaces for COVID-19 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, county attorney Jamie Woods said.
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