St. Mary's commissioners reinstate $9.49 million jail upgrades, remove $35.18 million expansion from CIP draft

St. Mary’s County commissioners reviewed capital plans for the adult detention center on March 4, 2013, and agreed to remove a proposed $35.18 million expansion from the draft capital improvement plan while reinstating a $9,489,000 package of upgrades for the existing facility.

The discussion involved the four commissioners present — Commissioner Cynthia L. Jones (1st Commissioner District), Commissioner Daniel L. Morris (2nd Commissioner District), Commissioner Lawrence De Jarbo (3rd Commissioner District) and Commissioner Todd B. Morgan (4th Commissioner District) — along with Acting County Administrator Sue Sabo and county staff. County staff said the debate reflected two paths: a larger renovation-and-expansion project that had previously been bid and came in about $7 million over estimates, and a smaller set of required infrastructure upgrades (HVAC, locks and cameras) that commissioners said are necessary regardless of expansion plans.

Why it matters: Commissioners cited three constraints in weighing the projects — the prior low bid that exceeded the estimate, uncertainty about state participation, and unresolved property-transfer issues tied to the expansion. County staff described…