WALLACE —  A much-needed roof repair at the Shoshone County Public Safety Building is on its way, and county officials feel like they’re getting quite the bargain.  

The Shoshone County Commissioners recently approved a bid of $3,200 from Fisher Roofing Services of Spokane to repair a large section of the building, using Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Funds.  

The public safety building, located across from the county’s courthouse, is the home base for the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office, jail, driver’s license office, and a small courtroom.  

The flat roof routinely fills with water and forms puddles as it slowly drains off, a design flaw that many county officials and former sheriffs have criticized over the years. 

According to Sheriff Holly Lindsey and Jail Capt. Eli Lopez, the roof has been giving them fits for years, with significant leaks springing up each year, particularly in the spring and fall. Lopez said they have jerry-rigged different fixes, or simply utilized buckets, but sometimes the leaks happen in places where neither option is possible, or the leaks are unseen until major damage or, in some cases, flooding finally shows itself.  

According to Lopez, at one point, the roof was leaking so badly that all the light fixtures inside the jail cells filled up with water, which he said, “presented a significant electric and safety hazard to every person inside the building.” 

During the county’s recent budget cycle, the roof was brought up several times as a looming issue that was going to challenge the county’s limited funds. However, when the jail’s maintenance director, Mario Isais, told them the cost of the repair, Commissioners Jeff Zimmerman and Melissa Cowles were stunned.  

“I was surprised by the number,” Zimmerman said later. “I was expecting it to be much higher.”  

The section of the roof being repaired is a substantial section that covers parts of the jail and the entire jail kitchen, which makes the repair not only needed but mandated by the state.  

“We have to be able to provide a safe and clean space for the inmates we house,” Lindsey said. “But we also need to make sure that we’re maintaining a safe and clean workspace for our detention deputies, our kitchen staff, and everyone who works in the building.”  

Isais also told the board that Fisher offers an additional maintenance program with their services, which includes 24/7 emergency repairs on any work they’ve done.  

Zimmerman was so pleased by the number he mentioned that the county may have to look at something similar in the near future for the courthouse.  

Sheriff Lindsey explained that repairs of this nature are becoming more common, and even though this project may be viewed as a financial win, the jail has consistently been nickel-and-diming the county for several years, and it will likely continue to do so.  

In 2019, Shoshone County unsuccessfully attempted to float a $22 million bond to build a new public safety building. In the six years since, the jail has lost its certification, routinely houses more inmates than it was designed for, and has received thousands of dollars' worth of repairs and updates to stay operational.

Lindsey fears that repairing the roof, even with the positive price and proposed maintenance plan, is just another band-aid fix in a long line of similar problems.   

“It was a pretty hard setback when we weren’t able to get the funding for a new facility,” Lindsey said. “At this point, the amount of money we pour into keeping this facility operating seems to increase every year, and I don’t see that changing or going down any time soon.”