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Voters will decide on new county jail, courthouse updates

This drawing shows the possible ground floor layout for a new single-story Floyd County law enforcement center to be built west of and attached to the courthouse. Voters will decide on a $13.5 bond issue to fund the project at an election to be held May 1. Prochaska and Associates drawing
This drawing shows the possible ground floor layout for a new single-story Floyd County law enforcement center to be built west of and attached to the courthouse. Voters will decide on a $13.5 bond issue to fund the project at an election to be held May 1. Prochaska and Associates drawing
By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

Floyd County voters will be asked their opinion on selling up to $13.5 million in general obligation bonds to finance a new law enforcement center including a jail, as well as renovations at the courthouse.

The county Board of Supervisors approved a resolution at a special meeting Monday morning, calling for a bond referendum to be held Tuesday, May 1.

“I’m really happy about this,” said Supervisor Doug Kamm. “Since the day I got here it’s really frustrating trying to operate a modern business in an old historical building. There’s a lot of ways that this building holds you back.

“We are also dealing with a 1940 heating system,” Kamm said. “This resolution will let us update the courthouse and give us a law enforcement center.”

Supervisor Mark Kuhn said the Board of Supervisors had addressed critical issues with the project, including ensuring that the law enforcement center (LEC) addition would be built above the 500-year floodplain, and getting a recommendation from the Floyd County Communications Board to locate the dispatch center at the LEC.

“I think we’ve done our job,” Kuhn said. “I think it’s time to call for a vote on behalf of the citizens and I’m very comfortable with the work that’s been done to date.”

Supervisor Chairwoman Linda Tjaden, who also led the citizens committee that came up with a recommendation on the preliminary design, said she was pleased that updates to the courthouse were included in the project, but “I don’t want to lose sight that this is a jail project.”

“Being up there and seeing the existing jail facility, it is very concerning,” Tjaden said about the county jail located on the top floor of the courthouse.

“I feel this is absolutely the right thing we need to do to make those improvements and to improve the safety of our citizens,” she said.

The dollar amount listed for the bond sale is an estimate based on general industry-standard square-footage costs for the kinds of construction being considered. It is based on the architects’ current estimate for costs, plus the cost of selling the bonds and a little extra for unforeseen contingencies.

The actual cost of the project will depend on the bids received once construction drawings are developed, and could be less than the estimate. In any case, the amount of bonds sold for the project cannot exceed $13.5 million if that’s what the voters approve.

The budget provided by the county’s project consultant, Prochaska & Associates, from Omaha, estimates construction costs for an LEC, including a jail, sheriff’s office and communication center, would be about $7 million.

That part of the project would also include a lobby connecting the LEC with the courthouse, along with new public restrooms for each floor of the courthouse and two new elevators, one for the public and one to transport detainees from the new jail to the courtrooms in the courthouse.

The courthouse update part of the project, including replacing the windows, installing a new heat pump system and making changes to some of the offices in the building, is estimated to cost about $2.7 million.

A 10 percent contingency allowance and funds to cover the cost of staging construction by moving departments out of the areas being worked on, adds another $1.3 million.

Budget soft costs, including site preparation work, equipment and furnishings, and communications equipment and cabling, adds almost $2.0 million.

The total project cost is estimated at $13.18 million. The cost to sell the bonds brings that up to a total of $13.39 million. The bonding agent recommended rounding that up to an even $13.5 million for the referendum.

A committee to promote passage of the bond referendum has been formed and is working on strategy to educate voters about the issue and to push for approval, including holding information meetings around the county.

County employees, including elected officials and members of the sheriff’s department, are not allowed to urge people to vote one way or the other when on county time or using county resources, but may provide information about the project and why a new jail is needed.

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