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Consultants highlight immediate safety and long‑term cost questions for Belknap County jail
Summary
Consultants told Belknap County commissioners the jail has immediate life‑safety and maintenance issues that can be addressed short term, but a full renovation would leave an inefficient facility; they recommended a prioritized two‑bucket approach and flagged potential $16 million‑plus repair estimates over several years.
Consultants presenting a jail analysis told Belknap County commissioners that several immediate repairs are needed to reduce safety and liability risks, and that the county should weigh those short‑term repairs against the cost of a replacement facility.
Dennis Morin, a consultant who presented the analysis, said exterior water intrusion points — leaking doors, windows, failed sealants and corroded frames — and blocked egress at a rear exit are urgent concerns. "I would put that on your list of things to focus on," Morin said, adding that broken interior glazing and damaged shower stalls present safety and maintenance problems.
"From a life‑safety perspective, it's really the only one door for the building as you have it…
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