Plagued by leaks and a dryer fire, the Lassen County Jail laundry room is set to get a much needed upgrade
A much needed upgrade is coming to the Lassen County Jail’s laundry room.
With broken washer and dryers, some from the previous jail facility that closed in the 1990s, the Lassen County Board of Supervisors unanimously awarded a bid to A2Z Laundry Services in Loomis for the replacement of equipment in the local facility in the amount of $45,778.06 and authorized the CAO to sign the contract for the purchase as a result of the competitive bid process.
Lassen County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Amy Foster detailed the work needed in the jail laundry room and the bid with A2Z Laundry Services.
“Right now, because of the equipment, its leaking on the floors, it’s causing slip hazards, It caught fire in February. The equipment is basically not functioning at all, that’s why we are here today,” Foster said. “We have one washing machine and one dryer from the old facility, we have two washers and two dryers that were installed hen the facility was built, and only one washer and dryer are functioning. Well, barely functioning.”
During the meting, Supervisor Gary Bridges commented on a picture included with the board packet showing electrical equipment below soap dispensers and asked if that would be fixed.
Foster answered it was part of the deal with A2Z Laundry Services.
The Lassen County Adult Detention Facility opened June 1991, according to the staff report, and the equipment was purchased to fit the needs of the facility at the time of construction.
One washer and one dryer were moved from the old facility and are currently inoperable. In addition, parts are no longer made to fix the equipment. The washers that were installed in 1991, continuously leak and cause a slipping hazard, the local agency shared. The parts to fix these machines are made for newer washers and would not be compatible with the computer board, causing the washers malfunction. The dryer from the old facility is inoperable and the two dryers that were installed in 1991 have caused the laundry bags to catch fire.
The report further detailed the hazards of the laundry room, noting in February one of the dryers caught fire. The laundry bags often are too hot for the inmate workers to handle and have at times started to smoke when the door is opened. This is due to the switches that communicate with the temperature gauges. Parts for the dryers are discontinued resulting in the dryers not being repairable.
As the years passed, the Sheriff’s Office has made several attempts to repair the equipment. The majority of the appliances can no longer be repaired and are failing. Due to the age of the equipment, needed parts are no longer made.
On June 3, the RFQ was closed and we received one quotation that met the standards and guidelines set in the RFQ. The quotation was from A2Z Laundry Services. An evaluation committee was convened and after scoring the recommendation was to award the bid to A2Z Laundry Services.
Foster said she hoped for a quick turn around, hoping to get new equipment in the next month or so.
