Title
Review the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office request to add the County Jail Power Failure Emergency Project to FY 26-27 Capital Project Work Plan and repair the emergency lighting that was damaged at the facility as result of the July 15, 2025, jail power failure emergency, and perform the repairs through the County’s Public Works, Facilities, and Parks Job Order Contracting (JOC) Program.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
Review the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office request to add the County Jail Power Failure Emergency Project to FY 26-27 Capital Project Work Plan and repair the emergency lighting that was damaged at the facility as result of the July 15, 2025, jail power failure emergency, and perform the repairs through the County’s Public Works, Facilities, and Parks Job Order Contracting (JOC) Program.
SUMMARY:
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) requests the addition of the County Jail Power Failure Emergency Project to FY 26-27 Capital Project Work Plan. As part of this project, MCSO needs to repair a portions of the County’s jail emergency lighting system that was damaged as a result of the July 15, 2025, jail power failure emergency. Part of this emergency also included the repairs to the electrical switch gear, and those repairs were completed soon after the emergency and these repairs were funded through the Risk Management Division. This report will be presented to the Budget Committee on August 26, 2026.
DISCUSSION:
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office operates the Monterey County Jail which has an average daily population of over 800 incarcerated persons. The Jail operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Jail is strictly governed by California Code of Regulations Title 15 and Title 24 which require functional emergency lighting at all times.
On July 15, 2025, a catastrophic electrical emergency damaged the electrical switch gear and portions of the jail's emergency lighting system. The electrical switch gear was prioritized and that was repaired soon after the emergency and the County jail was re-energized. The County jail has been functioning without a large portion of its emergency lighting operational since the emergency due to the complex process utilized to identify suitable repairs to mitigate the issues. Reliable emergency lighting is essential to maintaining the safety and security of Sheriff's Office personnel, contractors, visitors, and the incarcerated population. In the event of a future power failure the lack of functional emergency lighting within the County Jail could compromise the safety and security of the facility significantly impairing facility operations and increasing the risk of injury to occupants and responders.
Replacement of the damaged emergency lighting in the interior and exterior components is necessary to restore system reliability, reduce operational risk, and ensure compliance with applicable detention facility safety standards. It is also imperative that the County maintain compliance with future inspections conducted by the California Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) and continue to meet obligations established under the Hernandez Settlement Agreement. Functional emergency lighting is a critical component of life-safety infrastructure and supports the County's ongoing commitment to providing a safe, secure, and constitutionally compliant detention environment.
Expedited completion of this project will support regulatory compliance, and help ensure the continued safety of staff, contractors, visitors, and the incarcerated population during power outages and other critical incidents.
Once the repairs have been completed, Risk Management will submit the project to the insurer for reimbursement under the open claim for this incident.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT/COMMITTEE ACTIONS:
The Department of Public Works, Facilities & Parks supports this project. This report was presented to the Budget Committee on August 26, 2026.
FINANCING:
The initial part of this emergency was funded through Risk Management. The Sheriff’s Office will seek discretionary funding for this project from the Board of Supervisors but if funding is not allocated will need to absorb the costs ($683,797) associated with the second part of this emergency which deals with the repair of the emergency lighting that failed during the emergency.
Prepared by: Arthur Curtright, Ext#3708
Reviewed by: Timothy Lanquist, Chief Deputy, Ext#3887
Reviewed by: Keith Boyd, Undersheriff, Ext#3859
Approved by: Tina M. Nieto, Sheriff/Coroner, Ext#3750
Attachments:
Proposed Project Budget - Part 2
Job Order Control #JF02-24-14-J8552-01