Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Detention Facilities topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioners hear plan for invasive upgrades at county jail and possible temporary inmate relocations
Summary
County staff presented a plan to renovate the adult detention center's HVAC and security systems, warning the work will be invasive, likely require temporary inmate relocation, and could add substantial one-time operating costs depending on duration.
St. Mary’s County staff described a planned renovation to the adult detention center that will replace HVAC and security systems and likely require a phased, temporary relocation of some inmates.
Staff said the project is invasive and will require moving certain housing pods while work proceeds. The county’s plan discussed relocating medium- to high-security inmates from pod C (48 beds) and pod A (16 beds) to other detention facilities in the state while their pods are rebuilt; staff cautioned that out-of-county capacity is variable and may not be consistently available.
Staff told commissioners the duration of temporary relocations is uncertain because the design is not yet complete; staff estimated a range of three to six months of relocation and cited a corresponding incremental operating cost range of roughly $1.2 million (three months) to $2.3 million (six months). The county has included a modest FY2015 operating placeholder tied to temporary kitchen needs if some relocation work occurs before July 1, 2015, but finance staff said the operating impact is not currently in any department’s base operating budget.
Commissioners discussed timing and whether to postpone some operating impacts into FY2016 until design clarifies the relocation length. Staff said the solicitation for the design team is underway and that design could take roughly nine months, which would affect whether relocation and temporary kitchen costs fall into FY2015 or FY2016.
Staff also noted pending state legislation and other potential program changes could alter project scope; the sheriff’s office had submitted a fiscal-impact statement on state bills that could add capital or operational requirements. Staff recommended budgeting the likely one-time costs from fund balance rather than recurring revenues.
Why it matters: The renovation touches the county’s detention operations, facility security and operating budget; timing, design and potential state policy changes will affect cost and logistics.
