Finney County commissioners approve $1.05 million design contract, authorize sales-tax bill and delivery model for proposed jail and LEC remodel

Finney County commissioners voted Jan. 27 to approve an architectural agreement and related steps to advance a proposed new jail and remodel of the county Law Enforcement Center.

The board authorized the county chairman to sign an AIA contract with HMN architects for schematic design through design development and, if needed, construction documents — a package the county expects to cost $1,053,500. Commissioners also approved using a construction manager-at-risk (CMAR) delivery model and asked bond counsel to submit draft legislation to the Kansas Legislature to permit a countywide half-cent sales tax restricted to retiring debt for the jail/LEC project.

Why it matters: Commissioners said design development is needed to produce reliable cost estimates for a voter referendum planned for November, and to allow public outreach with concrete scope and budgets. The sales tax would be dedicated to retiring debt for the projects and would terminate once the debt is repaid, county staff said.

Architect Shawn Harding and former commissioner Duane Drees, chair of the county’s construction committee, told the board the design-development phase will produce dimensional drawings, material selections and cost ranges contractors can price. Harding said plan completion timed to the August timeframe would give the campaign the information needed before a November vote. He and commissioners noted that if the referendum fails, the contract is written so work can be stopped at phase boundaries to limit county exposure.

Commissioners asked how and when accurate cost estimates would be available. Harding said design development produces a substantially better cost understanding than schematic design; construction documents and contractor involvement further refine estimates. The board discussed an August target for that information to support the November referendum.

On delivery and funding, County Administrator Robert Reese said bond counsel drafted proposed legislation allowing a half-cent county sales tax dedicated to paying the debt and excluded from the county’s statutory debt limits. County counsel and bond counsel will file the bill with the House Tax Committee, the county said. Commissioners approved directing bond counsel to submit the proposed legislation and designated someone locally to carry the bill to Topeka.

The board moved to use the CMAR delivery model in two phases (matching the architect contract). The motion to approve the architect agreement, authorize the CMAR approach and send the sales-tax bill to the Legislature passed; the chairman was authorized to sign the architectural contract subject to county counsel review.

Next steps: finalize the architectural contract with counsel, complete design-development work, finalize a project budget, and begin legislative outreach on the proposed sales tax. The commission also said it will continue work to identify potential jail sites and coordinate with the public for outreach ahead of any referendum.