County begins early planning for Justice Center on county land near jail

The Capital Outlay Committee on May 7 discussed early-stage planning for a Justice Center on county-owned land adjacent to the jail. The Chair said the county would not acquire new property and that staff are working with an engineering firm to determine how much of the wooded parcel in front of the existing jail could be used and what building footprint would fit the site.

"We have the property," the Chair said, noting the county is exploring whether the building would be two or three stories and that vertical construction could address space needs. Committee members raised wetlands and grading issues and discussed a wetland-bank mitigation approach similar to earlier projects.

Staff explained the procurement approach used on a recent justice center project — using a state contract to solicit three bidders and a contractor network — produced a lower bid than the original budgeted amount, and suggested a similar approach could reduce cost for future projects. However, staff emphasized that the Justice Center planning is at an early stage, no funding has been identified and further engineering and cost analysis are required before any formal proposal.

Committee members also discussed the pros and cons of siting the Justice Center adjacent to the jail, including efficiencies for secure inmate movement and concerns about access and location for the general county population. No decisions were made beyond directing staff to pursue site analysis with the engineering firm.