County hears updated jail project estimate; council creates dedicated jail project fund

County officials presented an updated estimate for a proposed new jail and discussed financing scenarios, property-sale options and use of existing taxes during a council meeting.

Cost estimate and composition: a presentation of the project materials distributed to commissioners showed a construction cost estimate around $24,000,008 and line items for soft costs ($5,000,000 estimated), utility extension ($1,000,000) and bond issuance costs (about $525,000), producing a total project estimate near $31,400,000. Presenters said the soft-cost figure did not yet include contingencies or detailed fixtures and equipment lists.

Capacity and operational pressures: the county’s jail capacity figures were discussed: current daily population was reported between roughly 60 and 65 inmates with a maximum bed count of 72, leaving limited ability to classify inmates safely under Department of Corrections standards. Presenters noted classification and segregation needs for high-risk inmates and urged moving forward because construction costs typically rise year over year.

Financing options discussed: presenters outlined multiple financing approaches including (a) financing a portion through a USDA or other programs at roughly 4.25% interest, (b) using courthouse-backed, low- or no-interest borrowing for a chunk of the project to reduce paid interest, (c) selling surplus county properties (including about 95 acres referenced) or storage units and applying proceeds toward debt service, and (d) refinancing in later years to shorten terms. Officials estimated that financing about $17 million (after a down payment drawn from savings) over 17 years could create an annual debt service in the ballpark of $1.4 million, and that adding the soft-cost estimate pushed that figure higher.

Action on funding mechanism: the council approved an ordinance (2025-002) to move revenues from the storage-unit fund (4015) into a newly created fund (9181) named the jail project fund; the ordinance allows the county to accumulate storage-fee revenues and use them to pay project-related invoices. Council members said the new fund could be used for environmental reviews, surveys, and other pre-construction expenses.

Next steps: officials requested a joint meeting with stakeholders — commissioners, town officials, county leadership, and prospective contractors — to reconcile scope, bids and soft-cost detail, and to obtain multiple vendor estimates before awarding contracts. Presenters emphasized the need to examine comparable projects (other counties building similar jails) to verify out-the-door costs and to avoid single-provider lock-in.