Whitley County accepts $7.5 million House Bill 1 allocation for jail expansion, authorizes segregated bank account and construction manager contract

Whitley County Fiscal Court voted to draw down $7,500,000 in House Bill 1 funds to expand the Whitley County Detention Center and approved several steps to manage and implement the project.

Judge executive told the court the House Bill 1 allocation will fund a significant expansion — described as about 100 beds — intended to address overcrowding and to create revenue by housing paying inmates. He credited state legislative leaders and local representatives for helping secure the funding and described this as one of the largest single line items the county has handled.

To ensure fiscal separation, the court authorized the judge executive and county treasurer to open a separate bank account for the House Bill 1 project so interest earnings and expenditures are segregated and used only for jail construction expenses. The court said it will shop local banks for the best rates and use the account only for project-eligible costs.

The court also approved add-on item 23: an AIA construction manager contract with Codell Construction based on an earlier award and discussed rates and scope. Separately, the court approved a revised contract under House Bill 556 with the Commonwealth of Kentucky that funds inmate education and certificate/GED programs, which county officials said has increased payments to the county; those revenues can offset operating costs.

All measures related to the HB1 funding, segregated account, the Codell Construction contract and the HB556 revision passed on roll-call votes.

County officials said they expect the project to improve capacity and help stabilize detention revenue but emphasized that procurement and construction steps will follow normal contracting and permitting processes.