Riverside County Uses Reserve Fund To Fix Structural Damage At Prison
RIVERSIDE (CBSLA.com) — Riverside County supervisors agreed to withdraw $567,000 from a reserve fund to fix faulty showers that have led to structural damage at the smith correctional Facility in Banning.
The funding was first requested by the Economic Development Agency last week, but the Board of Supervisors took no action until it became apparent who was ultimately be responsible for the defects.
EDA Director Rob Field told the board the county would take part in reimbursement for the cost of repairs after it was confirmed Tuesday that the designer, whose name was not mentioned, was at fault.
"We will be engaged in further discussions with them," Field said. "I wish it hadn't gone this way. We always endeavor to avoid this kind of outcome."
The EDA says that the wrong sealant appeared to have been applied to the shower walls, which allowed water to seep through, resulting in leaks. Damage is also apparent in the bathroom floors.
"There's always a concern about quality," Supervisor John Tavaglione said. "That's something we need to be looking at with regard to the engineering.
Director Field said that the leaks were not disrupting jail operations.
The structural flaws appeared in a wing added onto the Smith Correctional Facility that was part of an $80 million expansion and was completed in 2011.
There were also three new housing units built, covering 173,000 square feet, adding a total of 582 new inmate beds.
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