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Jail expansion plan put at $1.5 million |
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Friday, 04 September 2009 |
The Saline County Quorum Court jail planning subcommittee learned Thursday that the planned addition to the Saline County Detention Center will cost about $1.5 million.
The plans and costs, discussed in meetings Wednesday and Thursday, were figured by SouthBuild, the company that designed the jail. The expansion will add 57 beds to the building with a total direct construction cost of $1.5 million.
With contingencies and other potential fees, the cost could top out at about $1.7 million.
“We’ve just about reached capacity on our jail facility. I don’t see in the future arresting less people. [The expansion] is just something we have to have,” Saline County Sheriff Bruce Pennington said.
The jail expansion will be split between 32 beds built into a dormitory style unit and 25 beds built into an all-bed cell unit.
“This will make things easier to control,” said Lt. Ray Pennington of the Saline County Sherriff’s Office. Lt. Pennington oversees the county jail.
Costs and plans for a maintenance building were also presented by Southbuild to the committee. Existing cameras at the jail will be used to monitor security at the building.
Plans for a recycling facility were not discussed, though they were once considered part of the overall project.
The original plans for the five-bay metal maintenance building measured 30 feet by 90 feet and would cost $295,000. The five bays would include a car wash area, oil change, forensics area, storage facility and office.
The oil change bay would not have a pit because of environmental concerns. A lift would be needed to conduct maintenance work. The cost of the lift was figured in the given total.
The outside walls of the maintenance building will be insulated to allow for washing in the winter. A trench drain would be enclosed in the wash area.
Justice of the Peace Mark Kizer expressed concern about lack of storage space in the original size of the building.
“By the time you add benches and other shop necessities you’re going to be limited by space,” Kizer said.
SouthBuild figured costs for a 40-by-90-foot building at $362,000.
The complete project, including the expansion and maintenance building, would require 15 bid packages, which will likely go to local work crews, Saline County Judge Lanny Fite said. Packages include electrical work, mechanical work, concrete work, etc. SouthBuild expects bidding to begin for the packages by January 2010.
Fite expects solid participation from local companies because the project is relatively small. Once bids are placed for the project, SouthBuild will make a recommendation to the Quorum Court as to what company would do the best work for the desired part of the project. Fite will have the final say as to what company gets each part’s bid.
The Saline County Quorum Court will approve the final plans for the jail at its next meeting on Sept. 15. Members also will discuss $7,460 appropriated by the court’s Finance and Personnel Committee to fill a vacancy at the jail sooner than the usual process.
The vacancy was created when a maintenance crew member walked off the job in August. However, in order to fill the vacancy, the wages of the previous worker must be paid in full before another person can be hired.
Paying off the wages would cause the vacancy to remain until October. The jail needs to hire someone as soon as possible, jail officials said during the committe’s Monday meeting. The money was appropriated from the county’s general fund.
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