Commissioners agree to vet detention center study bids, seek sheriff references

Geary County commissioners discussed two proposals to assess the county jail and potential renovation or replacement needs and agreed to gather references and more detailed cost estimates before choosing a consultant.

County staff presented two bids: a lower-cost option (roughly $35,000 estimated in discussion) and a larger, more comprehensive proposal priced at about $77,002.50. County staff and the new detention-center lead said the more expensive consultant offered a broader, systemwide review that would include prosecutors, judges and sentencing considerations; the lower-cost proposal focused primarily on the physical jail facility and administrative data.

Major Anderson and detention staff described the jail as aging, with plumbing and other infrastructure problems that limit usable beds. Commissioners and staff discussed the county’s historical average daily population (ADP) and noted the county’s built capacity (89 beds) can be insufficient at times because of unusable spaces. Commissioners said the assessment should look forward to projected needs, not only historical ADP.

County staff recommended outreach to other sheriff departments in Kansas that have worked with the two bidders to collect feedback on the reports’ usefulness. Commissioners asked the consultants to provide estimated hours and hourly rates to allow an apples-to-apples comparison; one proposal listed hourly projections while the other did not.

Officials agreed to: 1) solicit references from other Kansas sheriff offices about each bidder’s past performance; 2) ask bidders to provide estimated hours and clearer scopes; and 3) consider funding options, including using forfeiture funds or a special request to cover assessment costs. The sheriff’s office and detention leadership recommended starting tours of the jail to inform the public about facility conditions if a bond measure is later required. No final contract award was made at the meeting.