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Sheriff Wheeler further explained that the amount of work performed by prisoners has doubled in the last year and is close to 4,000 hours a month. The equipment is over 4 years old and is difficult to maintain and repair. A $17,000 investment for new equipment would allow continuation of the work by prisoners. The great majority of this work is Board -related and would be performed by County personnel or paid for by the Board. Chairman Bird agreed that the prisoners are productive and accomplish projects involving hard work, and he supported the Sheriff's request. Commissioner Adams realized that the inmate crews work hard and do a good job, and she asked who controls where they work. Sheriff Wheeler explained that certain maintenance projects are done on a regular schedule, such as clearing ditches and thinning out the underbrush around the greens at the golf course, as well as work at the Environmental Learning Center. There are requests from citizens who complain that their ditches were not cleared by the County or the City of Sebastian, and other non- profit organizations make requests from time to time. Those requests are filled when inmate laborers are available. Commissioner Adams was concerned that this program might grow to a point where the Sheriff would not have enough prisoners to do all the work. She also did not want to see this program reach a point where it would affect the private sector. Commissioner Adams stated that she has a responsibility to the taxpayers and she was particularly concerned that this expense was not addressed during the budget hearings, because the Sheriff had a year to analyze his equipment needs and he knew that this equipment was getting old. The Board's policy is that expenses should be addressed during the regular budget process unless it is an emergency, and this does not appear to be an emergency. Commissioner Adams asked what is the estimated life of this type of equipment and whether the maintenance for the equipment would be another expense. Sheriff Wheeler agreed that the Board is responsible to the taxpayers. He maintained that he is frugal and justifies all expenditures. His budget was cut substantially and this equipment was one of the items cut from his budget. He asked the Commission for support because this is a legitimate need. Commissioner Adams realized that the Sheriff's budget was cut, but all departments cut their budgets and the Board may have to answer other requests for support. She did not consider this project more important than children's needs or drug programs or some of the other programs that were cut, and she could not support the Sheriff's request. ow Nov �ooK 9� 49 2 31993