DeKalb County commission orders feasibility study on jail upgrades, agrees to examine adjacent and off‑site options

The DeKalb County Commission voted to hire consultants to estimate how many beds the county could gain by upgrading its current jail to meet TCI standards and to provide cost comparisons for building next to the existing facility or on other sites.

The motion, made during a discussion of the county jail, directed Trainer Architect and Bell Construction to evaluate the current facility, produce an itemized estimate of the cost to upgrade to TCI standards, and estimate how many additional beds each option would provide. Commissioners also approved follow-up work to analyze what the project would look like if the county acquired adjacent property and to get a separate one‑level “greenfield” estimate for comparison. The principal motion passed on a voice vote recorded as 12 in favor and 1 opposed.

Commissioners said the estimates are intended to inform whether to pursue financing later this year. The discussion repeatedly referenced a prior study that recommended a much larger jail (the consultants’ earlier figures ranged up to 270 beds) and an earlier bond discussion of roughly $65 million; commissioners said they do not intend to replicate that earlier, larger judicial center and instead want updated, comparable cost options for a jail alone. The commission did not approve construction or a bond at the meeting; the vote only authorized cost and capacity estimates and comparisons.

Supporters of studying the current site argued a detailed, itemized estimate would provide the “due diligence” needed to move the project forward or to compare a different location. Opponents and some downtown business owners cautioned about construction impacts if a larger facility were built in downtown Smithville and asked that estimates include the economic effect during construction as well as afterward.

Commission discussion identified several technical constraints that will shape any retrofit: converting dormitory-style housing to individual cells would reduce certified bed capacity because newer clear‑floor‑space standards require more space per inmate; the annex had previously been certified for roughly 32 beds and the older portion for about 52 certified beds under earlier rules. Commissioners and staff also noted that any initial estimate will not include costs for unexpectedly hazardous materials (for example, asbestos or lead) or other site surprises that would require separate remediation bids.

The commission asked staff to seek estimates that differentiate: (1) upgrades of the existing jail to meet TCI standards and the number of beds that would be preserved or added, (2) development if the county purchases the adjacent parcel that has been discussed publicly, and (3) a one‑level greenfield alternative with a comparable bed count. Commissioners said they want the estimates in time to inform budget and bonding discussions this summer.

What's next: The county administrator will work with the county’s selected firms to produce the estimates and report back to the commission and the budget committee. No financing, bond authorization or construction contract was approved at the meeting.