Hamblen County officials report near-complete justice center; commissioner, public press for funding to certify jail and retain officers

Hamblen County commissioners were told the new justice center and associated office spaces are largely finished, but final mechanical, electrical and above-ceiling inspections must be completed before the county turns the facility over and staff move in.

The update, given during the Justice Center/Public Safety Committee meeting, included a construction total of $95,038,489.11 and a project completion level reported as 98.55 percent. County staff said commissioning of mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems was under way and that security systems, cameras and other controls will be tested during a multi-week period before final completion. Moving of owner furniture and other systems is scheduled to begin in August, with the contractor allowed two months after substantial completion to reach final completion.

The project presenter (transition/team staff) said, "Everything will be touched. Every camera's angle will be viewed. Every button will be reviewed," and described remaining above-ceiling inspections on the jail side and phased completion of different floors.

At public comment, Joseph Hahn, a local resident, urged immediate county action on officer pay and jail certification. "You all as a committee, a commission, are failing Hamblen County," Hahn said, adding the sheriff needs resources "to get this thing to certified to its highest level."

The commission also took formal action on a personnel-related grant tied to retaining post-certified officers. The body approved an amendment extending a retention grant to 2029; the motion was made by Mr. Richardson and seconded by Mr. Huntsman and carried without recorded opposition.

Why it matters: commissioners must complete of-the-field testing, finalize contract negotiations and coordinate a transition to occupancy while addressing staffing and certification needs raised by the sheriff's office and public commenters. The timeline for commissioning and the contractor's two-month period after substantial completion are the immediate milestones before full operation.

Details and context: county staff said exterior work is virtually complete and that interior courtrooms and office benches have been set; jury seating and multiple courtroom spaces were shown in photographs during the update. Staff noted that some mechanical, electrical and finishing tasks remain on different floors of the jail and that testing and balancing of mechanical systems will follow ceiling work. The presenters said they are continuing negotiations with the contractor and the architect on outstanding items and expect those discussions to proceed as the project reaches substantial completion.

Public and commissioner questions focused on scheduling a commissioners' tour, the status of contractor/architect negotiations and the date when keys and furniture would be transferred. County staff said they would coordinate a tour with the transition team and reiterated the planned August move-in schedule, with training and system testing continuing through the two-month finalization window.

Ending: No new change orders were presented at the meeting. Commissioners were given a schedule target of late next month into August for moving furniture and beginning training; staff said they expect to finalize outstanding contract negotiations and complete the commissioning and testing cycle before turning the facility over to jail operations.