Gibson County commissioners receive jail inspection, table demolition proposal

Bruce, speaking to the Gibson County Board of Commissioners, said the county's new jail had no problems following an annual inspection and provided an update on staffing and related facilities work.

The report noted the corrections division has 21 budgeted positions and 16 filled slots; five of the current staff are in training. The speaker said the county experienced at least six resignations over the summer and at one point the corrections staff dropped to 11. One officer is currently on leave and expected back within two weeks; another is expected to leave for another agency later this summer. "New jail, no problems," the speaker said. The county is operating 12-hour shifts "till we get this crisis under control," and the speaker said the office is continuing testing and recruitment and encouraged applicants to apply online or at the sheriff's office to streamline hiring.

Commissioners also discussed a proposed decommissioning and demolition planning package for the older jail structures. The consultant's proposal would document existing conditions, create CAD plans for each floor, decommission utilities (including providing an alternate electric feed because the existing feed runs through the new jail), cut and cap sewer and storm systems, and provide construction administration. The consultant said foundations and walls would be removed to about 4 feet below grade and backfilled so no basement would remain.

The proposal does not include environmental testing; commissioners directed staff to seek environmental firms to test for asbestos and other contaminants. A commissioner moved to "take this proposal under advisement, table it for now, so that we can review our finances and make sure we're ready to move forward," and the motion carried. Commissioners asked staff to return cost and testing estimates and placed the item on the next agenda; staff said they would attempt to get a response within about two weeks and planned to include the item on the agenda for the next meeting (noted in the meeting transcript as "September 2 at 8 AM").

On project cost, the consultant identified two line items in the proposal as $25,000 and $12,005 and clarified that the package being approved would be the planning/decommissioning package, not the physical demolition work itself. Commissioners said physical demolition would be a separate, larger expense and not included in the current proposal.

Public and commissioner questions about the parking area adjacent to the jail were answered: the planned work will include paving, striping, curbs, sidewalks and concrete aprons at overhead doors; county staff said contractors expected to begin work and complete it within roughly 60 days.

The county will seek environmental testing quotes and return to the board with cost information before authorizing demolition contracting.