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Kerr County court approves RFP to seek lessees for idle juvenile detention center
Summary
At a June special meeting the Kerr County Commissioners Court voted unanimously to issue a request for proposals seeking a lessee for the county's decommissioned juvenile detention center after staff described a federal grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Marshals Service.
The Kerr County Commissioners Court voted unanimously Monday to issue a request for proposals seeking a lessee for the county’s unused juvenile detention facility.
The action came after a court member described a consulting lead who had identified a federal grant opportunity through the U.S. Marshals Service to place detainees that require temporary housing while awaiting transfer to federal courts. The court’s motion directs staff to prepare an RFP and return it to the court for formal approval and issuance.
Court discussion and staff comments said the county’s facility holds 48 beds (about 42 “comfortably,” according to the court record) and has been closed since 2017 because of fiscal and staffing constraints tied to juvenile-care requirements, including continuous (24/7) supervision. The court noted a prior, separate contact from the Texas Juvenile Justice Department offering to place higher-risk juveniles in the facility; the court record shows that offer was declined.
The court’s record identifies Jacqueline Klein as a consultant who locates grant opportunities and who flagged the current U.S. Marshals opportunity. Staff member Jonathan Letts was identified in the discussion as a coordinator who assisted in evaluating the facility and the prospect of re-leasing the building.
The court did not set deadlines or other substantive RFP terms during the discussion. Commissioners asked staff to review the 2023 RFP previously used for the older detention center and return a revised draft for court approval to reflect new parameters and any exclusions the court wants included.
Motion and vote: a court member moved to issue the RFP; another court member seconded. The court approved the motion unanimously.
Next steps: staff will draft the RFP, incorporating the court’s direction about acceptable uses and exclusions, and bring the document back to the court for formal approval before publication.
