FARMINGTON – County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to accept a bid from an Augusta company to install a new air conditioning system in a section of the kitchen at the Franklin County jail.

The panel also received an update on when Jay dispatch services would be switched to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department.

Mechanical Services Inc. was the only bidder, with a price of $8,270 to put in the air conditioning unit above the sink area of the kitchen, assistant jail Administrator Carl Stinchfield told commissioners.

Commissioners considered installing a new system last year, but bids were too high and there was no money in that budget for the system.

At the time, Stinchfield said he was told it would take two units to cool the whole kitchen and drew up specifications accordingly for this bidding process.

The bid opened Tuesday was included in the budget.

The air conditioner would make summer temperatures a little cooler for one section of the kitchen instead of opening a kitchen door, he said. The air conditioner is capable of bringing the temperature down to 70 degrees in that area, he said.

It is comparable to the unit installed in the control room, Stinchfield said.

In other business, commissioners voted to hire three part-time corrections officers to increase the part-time roster.

Hired were James Hatch of Farmington, Walter Fails of New Sharon and Jason Hamlin of Strong.

Sheriff Dennis Pike said that Jay’s emergency dispatching services will be switched over to the county on Thursday.

Jay voters rejected an article for $200,500 by a wide margin June 12, effectively sending the service to the county to be provided by emergency dispatchers there.

Pike said the early changeover appears to be because of a shortage of personnel in Jay, but Jay police Chief Larry White Sr. said that was not the case when contacted after the meeting.

His dispatchers are staying until the end, White said.

The service is being switched over Thursday, White said, but dispatchers will be there until June 29 to make sure everything is tweaked and ironed out.

“I appreciate that they are very loyal right to the end,” he said.

One of Jay’s dispatchers, Donna Ladd of Jay, will stay on at the police station as officer manager.

Dispatcher Brad Timberlake will be going into a temporary full-time patrol position that is open until Sgt. Troy Young is able to assume more active duty. Young was seriously injured in a cruiser accident in November.

Timberlake will then fill in for officer Mike Mejia, who will be attending the Criminal Justice Academy.

Pike also told commissioners that there are three stations operational with the new 911 system upgrade.

Dispatch Supervisor Melinda Caton will be on hand to operate one of those along with two other dispatchers to make sure the Jay switch over goes smoothly.