Growth in the Warren County Regional Jail’s inmate population has led to growth in the jail’s contract with Southern Health Partners, which provides health care services to the jail.

Warren County Fiscal Court on Friday approved an increase of $74,082.60 in the jail’s contract with SHP, a Chattanooga-based company that provides inmate health care services to more than 200 detention centers across 13 states.

The hike in the annual contract from $855,679.32 to $929,761.92 is needed if Warren County Jailer Stephen Harmon and his staff are to continue meeting their responsibility to inmates, Harmon said.

“What we’ve identified is that making adjustments in schedules and allocating more of the jail staff to the (health care) operation is still not getting the efficiencies we’re looking for,” Harmon said. “I feel like adding a nurse is where we need to be in dealing with non-emergency health care needs.

“We don’t ask for that (budget increase) lightly. It’s important that we be able to meet the needs. That’s one of my priorities and responsibilities to provide for the safety and security of our operation. By adding a nurse, we’ll be able to see inmates within the 48 hours we shoot for.”

Harmon’s request came on a day when he presented to the magistrates the latest inspection report from the Kentucky Department of Corrections. That report showed the jail noncompliant with state regulations in only one area: overcrowding.

The jail has 562 beds but is consistently over that number. Harmon said the current contract with SHP is based on a daily inmate population of 600, but he said: “We haven’t averaged 600 in a month for a long time.”

The amended contract, which takes effect Jan. 1, is based on a daily inmate population of 660. The contract amount will increase by a per diem rate of $1.03 for each inmate over 660.

Those numbers were enough to convince Warren County Judge-Executive Mike Buchanon and the fiscal court’s six magistrates that adding a nurse is needed.

“The funding approval to hire an additional nurse at the jail was necessary to better accommodate a consistently high occupancy,” Buchanon said. “The fiscal court and the jailer take the responsibility of inmate health care very seriously.”

The increase in the AHP contract comes less than a month after another improvement to jail operations. At a Nov. 30 meeting, fiscal court voted to approve spending $17,860 to purchase new uniforms from Galls of Lexington for the 95 employees of the jail.

Harmon said the budget for jail uniforms has consistently been around $1,000 per year, an amount that didn’t allow for a consistent look to all uniforms.

“This purchase will allow us to have a more uniform and professional appearance within our operation,” Harmon said in requesting the purchase of the shirts and pants.

No names will be embroidered on the uniforms, so they can continue to be used when personnel changes.

“If we can improve the professionalism of how we look when dealing with inmates, we can cut down on the use of force,” Harmon said.

In addition to approving the jail expenditure, the magistrates approved on first reading an ordinance adopting regulations and requirements for alcohol beverage control in the county.

In compliance with state Alcoholic Beverage Control laws, fiscal court approved on first reading license fees for various types of establishments. They range from $166 for a special temporary drink license to $1,400 per year for limited restaurant and golf course licenses. A quota retail package license is $1,000 per year, but Warren County Attorney Amy Milliken said the number of such licenses to be awarded has not yet been established.

The ordinance also established that Buchanon will serve as the county’s alcoholic beverage control administrator.

Warren County voters approved countywide alcohol sales by a 27,632-9,741 margin in November.

In other action, the magistrates approved on second and final reading the rezoning of 16.5912 acres at 377 McLellan Road from agriculture to single-family residential.

Plans for the property owned by the Mary Louise Smith Family Limited Partnership call for builder Barrett Hammer to develop a 42-lot subdivision.

Fiscal court’s next meeting has been rescheduled from Dec. 28 to Dec. 27 at 9 a.m.