WARREN — Trumbull County jail administrator David Bobby warned county leaders Tuesday about serious problems at the jail, including leaky roofs, broken plumbing and a failing heating system.

He spoke at the weekly workshop, where only two members, Tony Bernard and Rick Hernandez, were present.

Officials plan to discuss more at today’s regular commissioners’ meeting. They hope to start bidding on new boilers soon to avoid bigger problems this winter.

Bobby read a letter he sent to the commissioners on Tuesday. In it, he described long-standing issues that have gotten worse over time.

“Every time it rains, officers are forced to deploy trash cans and old blankets simply to control the water leaking into the building,” Bobby said. He added that sometimes the leaks include dirty water from old pipes.

The plumbing problems are so bad that 12 jail cells cannot be locked because their toilets do not flush and there is no drinking water. This makes it harder to manage the crowded jail, Bobby said.

The facility holds about 287 inmates right now, but is built for up to 308. According to the jail website, that number is up to 303.

The heating system is another big worry. The jail relies on just one boiler to warm the whole building. Over a recent holiday weekend, it broke down three times.

Maintenance workers fixed it each time, but Bobby said it’s only a matter of time before it fails for good.

“Staff have repeatedly complained about building temperatures,” he said.

Cold conditions affect both workers and inmates, who have a legal right to basic needs like warm rooms and clean water.

Bobby stressed that the jail cannot close like other county buildings. If something breaks, like a sewage pipe, staff in an office might go home. But the jail must keep running to keep the public safe.

Hernandez and Bernard agreed the problems need quick action. They called the boilers a top priority. “The boilers have been nothing but a money pit for the past several years,” Hernandez said.

He suggested using settlement funds, like money from opioid lawsuits, to help pay for fixes.

Darryl Dunnigan, who recently took over as head of county facilities, said his team has checked roofs on several county buildings, including the jail, in the last month. A roofing company gave them a repair plan, but snow has delayed work.

Dunnigan noted that jail plumbing needs special experts because of the building’s design, like hidden pipes and controls to shut off water in cells.

The group talked about how to fix the boilers. Dunnigan said he has specs for new ones and can get them faster from one supplier. But Prosecutor Bill Danso reminded them that big projects over $79,000 must go through a bidding process under state law.

This means getting quotes from companies in a fair way, which takes time.

Bernard suggested contacting the governor’s office for extra funds. He pointed out that other jails have gotten state help recently.

Bobby said a state program for jail repairs ended last year, and Trumbull County did not apply before it ended.

After the meeting, Dunnigan said funding is a key challenge.

“Some things are proprietary because it’s a jail, so we can’t do that in-house,” he said. He added that equipment like boilers and plumbing is 30 years old and should have been planned for replacement earlier.

Bobby also spoke after the meeting. He said the broken cells can still hold inmates, but they must use toilets outside the cells. He mentioned a grand jury report from July that noted leaky ceilings and rain damage.

Some issues, like a dirty bathroom, have been cleaned, but roof leaks continue during rain.