EBENSBURG, Pa. – The Cambria County Prison Board approved the repair of a roof leak Wednesday caused by aging HVAC equipment.
Cambria County Prison Deputy Warden Craig Descavish told the board that a leak was discovered over the medical department in the building despite roofing repairs being recently completed.
“The contractor came in and did a flooding test,” he said.
“They flooded the roof in that area and tried to determine where it’s coming through with no leak. They then applied water on top of one of our large air handlers that sits in that location and it’s leaking.”
He said the piece is about a 10-foot-wide by 30-foot-long piece of HVAC equipment shrouded in galvanized metal.
“When we’re on the roof and we looked at it, it’s really showing its age,” Descavish said.
“It’s original to the building and rusted. So that’s where the water penetrations come into, and had nothing to do with the roof project itself. They agreed to make the repair.”
George Rozum, second deputy warden, said that the repairs are estimated to cost no more than $3,500, which was the amount the board approved the costs not to exceed.
During the meeting, board member and county controller Ed Cernic asked prison administration in attendance if the prison was also paying for the uniforms of per-diem corrections officers.
Cernic said that $39,000 was spent last year, but that cost has already been exceeded this year with $44,600 being spent to date.
The prison is obligated to give the officers uniforms according to their contract, but that does not apply to the per-diem.
Rozum and Descavish said that the issue has come from there being an issue with new staff not staying and their names being embroidered on the uniform shirt, which removes the ability for the shirts to be returned when the staff member leaves.
The deputy wardens said that they would talk to the union about the possibility of giving employees shirts without their names on them so that the shirts can be returned.
Katie Smolen is a reporter with The Tribune-Democrat. Follow her on Twitter @KSmolen1230.