LEC committee looks at third design option, transportation option costs

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

A third design option for a new Floyd County law enforcement center combines some aspects of two previous designs, and drew some positive responses from members of a county LEC citizens committee.

The new design was presented at a meeting of the LEC committee Thursday evening.

Also presented were figures on the potential cost of not building a new county jail, but instead transporting all detainees to jails in other counties if the current Floyd County jail is closed.

The current jail, located on the fourth floor of the courthouse, does not meet state standards and a state jail inspector has told the county it must address the issue.

Zack Svoboda of Prochaska & Associates, the county’s consultant on the LEC project,  presented figures showing the total cost of transporting detainees to other counties could approach $17 million over 20 years.

That produced a surprised reaction from at least one committee member, who questioned the number.

Svoboda said he based his estimates on figures supplied by the county, distances to other county jails, the costs charged by other counties to keep detainees, and by applying estimated cost inflation and anticipated growth in the number of inmates handled each year.

Even in the first year the cost to transport and house all detainees in facilities in other counties would be almost $440,000, his figures show.

Floyd County Sheriff Jeff Crooks said the current annual jail budget is about $384,000.

Svoboda said, “Out of all the counties we’ve done, this has never been a viable option, to continue transporting. Generally there’s a better option out there than transporting, almost always.”

Another consideration is the safety factor, he said.

“Transportation is one of the most dangerous activities law enforcement faces,” Svoboda said.

Crooks said, “I have to think of my people and safety concerns every time they go out and about. I want them to be on the road the least amount of time transporting. I want them to be on the road … keeping the community safe.”

Svoboda also said the transportation costs don’t include the costs that would be required to bring parts of the current jail up to state codes as 24-hour holding cells while detainees are awaiting transport.

Most of the rest of the meeting was spent discussing the latest design option for a new law enforcement center.

Each of the options, including the latest, would include an addition west of the courthouse, attached to the courthouse with a lobby area that could contain new elevators and restrooms that meet security and Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines.

The main entry to the LEC and the courthouse would be off Court Street, facing the Cedar River.

The first two LEC design options, presented in June and August, both had pros and cons, committee members agreed.

Option 1, for a single-story addition, would stretch almost to the existing Taco John’s parking lot and require closing Jackson Street. OPTION 1

A single story would be best for the Sheriff’s Department, said Crooks, but he recognized that the large “footprint” of the addition bothered some people.

The second option, for a multi-story addition about the same height as the courthouse, would fit on existing courthouse property and not require closing Jackson Street. OPTION 2

But Option 2 was pretty much unworkable from the Sheriff’s Department’s point of view, said Crooks and Lt. Brian Tiedemann, the former jail administrator.

That plan divided jail functions among too many locations on different floors and would cause security concerns and possibly need additional staff, they said.

Jim Classe, vice president and designer with Prochaska & Associates, presented the third design option to the committee.

That design would have all primary jail functions on the ground floor of an addition. The main cell area would be a single story with skylights in the roof.

Detainee intake, processing, laundry, kitchen, evidence storage and other functions would all be on the same level and connected with the cell area.

Offices, lockers, squad room, meeting rooms and dispatch would all be on a second floor, above the section that’s adjacent to the cell area on the first floor.

A small “penthouse” above the second floor would contain the mechanical equipment such as electrical, heating and air-conditioning that would serve the new LEC as well as upgrade services to the courthouse.

Crooks said he preferred the single-story Option 1, but if people liked the design aesthetics of the third option better his department could work with that.

The next step in the planning process will be to present the options to the public for their comments and questions.

The next citizens committee meeting was tentatively set for 4 p.m. Oct. 4, at which time cost estimates for the three LEC options and for remodeling in the courthouse will be presented, and times could be set for forums to present the options to the public.

The committee will eventually recommend an option to the county Board of Supervisors. If that option is accepted by the board and if it requires a bond referendum for funding, that election could be held in March or May next year.