Committee weighs $1.05 million in jail repairs vs. phased approach and a feasibility study
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Summary
Committee reviewed a consultant report detailing immediate and long-term deficiencies at the county jail and debated funding $1,058,000 in repairs versus phasing work and launching a feasibility/design study for a new facility. Members coalesced around a compromise to start with roughly $700,000 to address critical items and initiate planning.
Belknap County officials spent the meeting debating whether to fund more than $1 million in capital repairs at the county jail or to phase work and start a feasibility study for a new facility.
Staff presented a consultant report and a CIP request that includes $1,058,000 for jail work (glazing/weather sealing, rebalancing hot water and air systems, control valves, and cleaning ducts) plus additional corrections items such as shower stall replacements. "The big project is for the jail, Million 1,058,000 to replace windows, 60 windows and exterior sealants, rebalance the hot water and air systems," Speaker 1 said while describing the CIP tab.
Speakers raised operational and safety concerns: collapsed cast-iron drain lines, toilets and fixtures that must be repaired with specialty correctional-grade hardware, and narrow doors that prevent stretchers from being moved safely in emergencies. "Correctional officers ... cannot physically fit the stretcher through the opening of the door," Speaker 5 said, describing accessibility and safety limits.
Several members argued that spending large sums on temporary fixes could be inefficient if the county later builds a new facility. "It's a band Aid on open heart surgery," Speaker 2 said, summarizing the view of members who worried about throwing good money at a failing building. Others urged a pragmatic, phased approach: Speaker 7 and others proposed allocating roughly $700,000 now to address top priorities and to fund early-stage design and feasibility work rather than fully funding the consultant's million-dollar estimate immediately.
No formal appropriation was made at the meeting. Committee members asked staff and the facilities manager to prioritize urgent repairs, provide a cost-broken CIP list, and return with options that would phase the work while launching a feasibility study and design process if funding permits. The committee set a near-term target to finalize recommendations before the delegation meeting in early February.