Commission reviews safety‑center remodel concepts to add court services, treasurer space and secure public access

Clay County commissioners spent a large portion of their meeting reviewing conceptual plans to remodel the county safety center and reassign courthouse operations, including the treasurer’s office and court services.

The discussion centered on two design concepts presented by the county’s project team that would convert parts of the safety center into a public transaction lobby for the treasurer, secure offices and waiting areas for court services, and additional space for the public defender or other court staff. Commissioners and department heads raised questions about plumbing, ADA restrooms, secure circulation between buildings, ventilation and electrical upgrades.

Commissioners said they want a clear plan for where staff and public functions will move as work proceeds. Project staff said the procurement timeline is already tight: the RFQ deadline is the 30th and the evaluation committee will shortlist firms to present to the commission on June 10. The commission agreed the RFP and related specifications should be revised to reflect whichever concept the commission elects to pursue.

Why it matters: The remodel would reconfigure public access and secure areas across two adjacent county buildings. That affects how residents interact with the treasurer’s office, how court services handle detainee consultations and where staff will store records and equipment.

Key details and open issues - Two principal concepts were shown. One gives the treasurer a larger transaction lobby and more deputy workspace; the other preserves more space for court services and secure attorney–client consultation rooms. - Commissioners and department heads raised specific implementation needs: plumbing access for kitchen/kitchenette locations, how to create ADA‑compliant restrooms, and where to route new power and network cabling. Staff noted the safety center has limited exterior windows and an old pneumatic HVAC system; electrical capacity may need upgrading. - The project team proposed that some work (for example, a kitchenette) could be an alternate bid item to keep initial costs lower. - Committee and procurement steps: staff will finalize an RFQ/RFP, the county’s evaluation committee will score responses, and shortlisted firms will be presented to commissioners at the June 10 meeting. - Commission asked staff to sketch department moves (who goes where) so anticipated build‑outs for other county offices can be scoped in advance.

Operational impacts and constraints - The safety center’s lower floors contain air handlers and state fiber connections that staff said can be used to route power and data from below; some wiring and floor work is likely to be required. - The plan retains secured cell areas for short‑term detainee handling and proposes a secure consult room for attorney visits adjacent to that space. - The treasurer explained storage needs for license plates and other bulky items; project staff proposed using former cell rooms for locked storage accessible via the sally port.

Next steps and timeline - Staff will revise the RFQ/RFP to match the commission’s preferred concept and circulate it to the RFP committee for review. - The RFQ deadline remains the 30th; the evaluation committee will select top firms and report back at the June 10 meeting.

Ending: Commissioners agreed the concepts are promising but asked staff to tighten the procurement documents and to coordinate closely with each affected department before issuing the RFP.