Commission hears jail expansion concepts; commissioners ask for cost figures and procurement steps
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Summary
County staff presented concepts to expand or renovate the Meigs County jail — including options to add pods and increase capacity to about 100–110 beds — and commissioners discussed architects, RFQs and the need for state certification before spending; no vote was taken.
Meigs County commissioners were shown conceptual designs to expand the existing county jail and discussed procurement and certification steps required before any work begins.
An official presenting the plans described two main concepts: one would add pods and a new booking area off the rear of the facility, another would expand toward the front parking area. The presentation said the additions could increase capacity to roughly 100–110 beds depending on the plan. "The number that the sheriff kinda feels comfortable with, if we could get this structure to a 100 to a 110 beds, he feels comfortable that that might get us down the road another 20 possibly," the presenter said.
The presenter emphasized phasing and certification: the county would not spend money on construction until the state confirmed the expanded facility could be certified, and staff suggested acquiring an adjacent Department of Transportation property to provide short-term yard space and long-term room for growth — a factor state reviewers consider when evaluating facility expansion plans.
Commissioners discussed costs and prior estimates. The presenter said previous committee options included a baseline figure to bring the existing building up to standard (cited in the meeting near $8.7 million) and that larger options had been priced significantly higher. He advised issuing a request for qualifications (RFQ) to select architects with jail experience; architectural fees were noted to commonly range from about 10% to 15% of project cost. Debate touched on whether remodeling the existing facility or building new would be more economical and whether a previously adopted motion must be rescinded before pursuing alternate paths.
No formal motion or vote to proceed with purchase, design or construction occurred at the meeting. Commissioners asked staff to obtain pricing, seek additional architect qualifications through an RFQ and return with cost estimates and recommended next steps.
What happens next: Staff will gather dollar figures and RFQ materials; commissioners signaled they would consider a formal vote after receiving cost estimates and confirmation on state certification criteria.