Vigo County Council approves $35,000 to cover Juvenile Justice Center Sally Port overage

The Vigo County Council on April 1 approved a $35,000 additional appropriation to complete the Sally Port addition at the county Juvenile Justice Center, citing multiple change orders and items that were not included in the original construction bids.

County staff told the council that DLZ Engineering prepared design work for the project and Haney Construction was the low bidder; unanticipated change orders — including replacement of a concrete slab and additional electrical and plumbing work — raised the project total to about $435,000, the staff member said. The staff member also said the $35,000 request would be paid from the Juvenile Justice Center’s nonreverting fund.

Council members pressed for clearer documentation of the remaining work and the bids. One council member said an independent local installer’s quote for the camera system was $39,689.93 and asked how the council’s $35,000 request would cover outstanding invoices. The presenting county staff member said, “Trust me. I don't wanna do this four times. But, yes, it's $35,000 is what we need to finish it.”

Council members also noted that the original $400,000 allocation came from ARPA funds in 2024 and that the requested $35,000 represents remaining overage from that project budget. The staff member explained that contractors had replaced four cameras rather than two because the existing analog system was incompatible with the new equipment.

After discussion, the council voted to approve the appropriation. The roll-call tally recorded by the clerk was 5 yes, 1 no, 1 absent; the transcript records the motion as passing “5 1 1.” The county staff member confirmed that funds are available to pay outstanding vendor invoices once the appropriation is approved.

Council members asked for improved bid documentation and clearer itemization of change orders before similar requests are presented in the future.