Commissioners and sheriff debate jail renovations, state grant timing and temporary 'pod' options; board keeps current upgrade project and asks for separate pod

St. Mary's County commissioners, the sheriff and detention staff spent the session debating short‑ and long‑term approaches to addressing space, medical and female‑inmate housing needs at the county Adult Detention Center (ADC).

County facilities staff presented revised cost estimates for completing the ADC security and HVAC upgrades and for adding a housing pod and a separate medical unit. Commissioners asked whether adding a women's housing pod now would make the current building viable for 10–15 years; the county's correctional leadership said a combination of a female pod and an upgraded medical unit, used alongside expanded pretrial alternatives, could extend serviceability of the existing facility.

State funding timing: county staff and corrections leadership explained the state's jail‑grant process is scheduled well in advance. For FY18 construction funding the state requires a facility part 1 and part 2 submission (program/feasibility) months prior to the funding decision; staff said part 1 would need to be submitted by August to be eligible for FY19 state consideration. Because of those deadlines, a design funded locally this year is often required to qualify for later state construction grants.

Temporary swing-space options: commissioners and the sheriff explored temporary approaches while renovations proceed. Sheriff and corrections staff described three options: (1) relocate inmates to other facilities (county's current operating estimate in the sheriff's budget used a $126.19 per‑diem figure for out‑of‑county placement), (2) contract with companies that provide on‑site modular detention “pods” (mobile housing units) and staff them, or (3) build an on‑site permanent pod before undertaking interior renovations.

Procurement and phasing guidance: commissioners asked staff to include relocation/pod provisions in the ADC construction solicitation so the prime contractor can coordinate temporary housing and laydown space. Commissioners emphasized they wanted a single prime contractor and consolidated phasing to avoid multiple contractors operating in the same constrained footprint.

Decision from the session: the board agreed to keep the current ADC upgrades project in place and move forward with design and solicitation for construction at the current 70% design stage. The board directed staff to prepare a separate project request for a women's pod and medical unit to pursue design and potential state grant match; staff were also asked to issue procurement(s) or include contract provisions that would generate hard prices for temporary mobile‑unit relocation so the board could compare operational vs. capital options. No construction contract was awarded at the session.