News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Michael Jones, Alpena County Sheriff’s Department sergeant, shows off some audio and video monitors Monday that will be used by visitors of inmates at the new jail in Alpena. The technology is largely unused right now as there are no inmates at the jail because they are at the old jail. It is hoped the inmate population can be moved to the new facility in mid-September.

ALPENA — Alpena County will likely have to continue utilizing both of its jails for at least the next several weeks.

Today, Sheriff Steve Kieliszewski said a lack of correction officers will force his office to keep inmates at the old jail, until more help is hired and trained.

He said mid-September is the target date to get the background checks for job candidates completed, and get them through psychological evaluations, and trained at the new jail on M-32.

“We had good applicants and are in the process of getting those things done,” Kieliszewski said. “I don’t expect any problems with them.”

Kieliszewski said when the new correction officers are hired, it will boost the corrections staff to 17. Currently, 13 are running the old jail.

“It has been a difficult process,” he said. “We have had these positions posted for months, so, for now, we are going to have to continue to run the old and new jail.”

The administrative and road-patrol aspects of the sheriff’s office have already transitioned to the new $11 million facility.

Voters in 2017 approved a 1-mill, 20-year property tax that costs the owner of a $100,000 house about $50-a-year in increased taxes.

Commissioner John Kozlowski said an update on the jail and inmates from Kieliszewski or commissioners who are on the jail committee would be welcome. He said the last he knew the inmates were supposed to be moved to the new jail in early August, and now that the timeline has changed, he wants a more detailed explanation.

“Like a lot of the taxpayers who helped to fund this jail, I share a level of frustration,” Kozlowski said. “We were told the inmates would be moved in early August, but now August is almost over and here we are still paying to run two facilities.”

Kieliszewski said the current job market has been the biggest drag on the move from one building to another. He said besides having the corrections officers position posted, a listing for a road patrol deputy is also posted. Kieliszewski said he has received zero correspondence about the open position.

“We have received no applications at all and that is a concern,” Kieliszewski said.

Board Chairman Bob Adrian said hiring law enforcement officials is much different than hiring other employees. He said it is more time consuming because of all the investigative work and training an applicant requires. Adrian said he believes things are moving along as well as can be expected and anticipates the inmates move and transition to the new jai will be a smooth one.

The administrative offices, road patrol, and animal control moved into the new facility in late May, and Kieliszewski said staff is settling in and most bug-a-boos have been found corrected. He said when the cells are filled, and the inmate population is in place, there could be some minor fixes needed to the jail.

“Everything is going really well but once we get everyone over it is possible we find some issues, like you do with most new buildings,” he said. “But right now everything is going really well.”