Commissioners weigh remodeling existing sheriff admin space vs. new admin building for jail medical and mental-health services
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Summary
County staff and consultants briefed the commission on options to deliver a medical infirmary, clinic and mental-health housing for the jail: remodel the existing administration footprint (which may require extensive structural and mechanical changes) or build a new administration building and construct medical/mental-health space on the main site; commissioners asked for cost comparisons and clearer timelines before proceeding.
County leaders and design consultants debated Jan. 5 whether to proceed with the current plan for a new medical and mental-health facility—paired with a new 12th Street administration building—or to remodel part of the existing sheriff's administration building for medical functions and build a smaller separate administration building.
Kevin Miller of GSBS and Sheriff rmond explained the technical tradeoffs: converting the existing admin space for medical and some infirmary functions would require extensive mechanical, slab and security work; medical and certain mental-health housing require enhanced air-exchange and infection-control systems that the present administration footprint may not support without near-complete reconstruction.
"It might save us some money," one commissioner said of the remodel option, "but in the long term it doesn't set us up with the best diagram to have the jail have its longest life expectancy and utility." Consultants noted remodel savings might be limited because much of the existing shell and roof systems would need replacement for medical use. Commissioners suggested commissioning a professional cost estimate comparing an on-site remodel with the current new-build plan and asked staff to return with apples-to-apples cost comparisons and timeline implications.
Key figures and timeline requests from commissioners: - Current proposal budget referenced in discussion: approximately $30,000,000 (commissioners asked what additional components could be included within that figure). - Commissioners asked for professional cost estimates for both a remodel approach and the new-build plan; staff estimated the cost-estimator work could be procured for a modest fee (under $10,000) to produce reliable comparisons.
Next steps: consultants will provide schematic/program materials and reliable cost estimates for the remodel versus new-build options; staff will circulate those comparisons to commissioners and return with a recommendation before committing further bond or design funds.
