Taxpayers are footing $83K/month bill to keep AC running inside shuttered California jail
Taxpayers are spending more than $80,000 a month for the air conditioning to stay on at a California jail – despite the facility being closed since June, according to a report.
Alameda County’s Glenn Dyer Detention Facility in Oakland was "mothballed" – or temporarily shuttered, but preserved for potential future use -- and its approximately 400 inmates were transferred to a different county jail, in Santa Rita.
But the Oakland jail's heat and air conditioning systems have been kept running, in turn costing taxpayers $83,000 each month, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
"That’s the bill we are getting every month from the county," admitted Alameda County Sheriff Greg Ahern, according to the Chronicle.
But the 800-bed, 20-story detention center, which opened its doors in 1984, must be adequately ventilated in order to maintain the facility, the county’s General Services Agency director, Willie A. Hopkins Jr. said.
"The lack of ventilation will expedite mold and mildew growth,” Hopkins said of the nearly windowless high-rise," Hopkins said. "Plus, mechanical systems like air conditioners can fail if not operated."
The facility is also located connected to Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse, which is still open for day-to-day use.
"Unfortunately, the design of the aforementioned facilities prevents deactivation of the central plant," he added.
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The $83,000 monthly bill equates to a yearly total of $996,000.
It's unclear so far how the facility will be repurposed.