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Pitkin County plans jail remodel and upgraded evidence-room fire suppression after bids show higher costs
Summary
County staff asked commissioners for supplemental capital funds to add holding cells, four general-population beds and a built-in commercial laundry at the jail and to increase the budget for a higher-standard fire suppression system in the sheriff’s evidence room.
Pitkin County staff told commissioners on June 10 that two facility projects require supplemental capital funding: an upgraded fire suppression system for the sheriff’s evidence room and a remodel of parts of the county jail to add holding capacity and reduce reliance on outsourced services.
GR Fielding, construction and asset director (sitting in for Jody), said bids and technical advice indicated the evidence-room job should be built to NFPA standards with annunciators, release stations and panels rather than a pared-down “dry unit” solution. The supplemental request would increase the earlier budgeted $65,000 by $90,000 based on received bids.
Architect Dan (last name not specified) and the sheriff’s team outlined a jail remodel to add a holding cell and four general-population beds — bringing the facility to an 18-bed capacity — and to bring outsourced laundry services in-house with a commercial system to save the county roughly $25,000–$30,000 per year. Staff also proposed upgrades to the jail camera/network system to avoid downtime that could leave a holding cell without visual oversight. Commissioners asked about state standards and potential waivers; staff said new statewide standards (VEIL) will take effect next July and the upgrades will not eliminate all compliance questions but could reduce risk and the need for waivers.
Commissioners said the remodel was preferable to building a new facility, called the supplemental request a fiscally restrained way to preserve jail capacity and safety, and thanked staff for identifying cost-effective measures. Staff said both projects will be included in the Q2 supplemental appropriations brought for formal reading at the board’s regular meeting the next day.
