Boyle County Judge Executive Pro Tem Tom B. Ellis and fiscal court members received an update on the planned Boyle County public safety campus, including geotechnical and environmental reviews, a two‑building program totaling about 45,833 square feet and early cost estimates that officials say may exceed the project budget.

County leaders said the design team delivered geotechnical results showing the site can support the planned buildings and that the environmental assessment has turned up no major issues, keeping the project on schedule for further design work. The court heard that basements are a possible option, depending on budget and program choices.

The update emphasized that the next critical milestone is the guaranteed maximum price (GMP). A member of the building committee told the court that the GMP discussion is when “the rubber meets the road,” and that renderings and exterior materials will be finalized as the budget picture firms up. The court was asked to expect a GMP prior to returning to bond financing discussions.

Officials discussed rough construction‑cost guidance of roughly $250–$280 per square foot as a planning assumption; the court noted that at those rates the total cost would be substantially higher than the county's earlier planning estimate (the record shows an initial starting figure entered into the procurement process about a year earlier at $5.75 million). The update included several items that have expanded the program since the original scope: separating the program into two buildings, adding dedicated training facilities for certain users, larger office footprints and other program elements that increase square footage and cost.

Members said EMS and the sheriff's office are priority users for the new facilities, and that EMS operational needs (indoor storage, vehicle maintenance and quicker response logistics) were a major driver of the project program. The court discussed options if the GMP comes in above available financing: scale back nonessential program elements, consider a single building instead of two, or reassign some program spaces.

Court members said once a GMP is available they will work with the county's finance director and bond counsel to model financing over different terms and then decide what the county can afford. The court also discussed contract incentives and noted they will investigate whether incentive/rebate language could be included in the contract to reward completing the work under budget.

The update included a preview that architects will produce building elevations and exterior material options as the project moves from program to contract documents. The court was repeatedly reminded that cost estimates will continue to firm only after the GMP is set and that design choices (materials, basements, separate training facilities) materially affect the final price.

Ending: Court members said they will continue meetings of the public safety building committee, press for the GMP, and return to the full court with options that align program needs to projected financing. No formal decision on program cuts or bonding was made at the meeting.