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Mono County project team reports jail construction on schedule; board debates hiring outside construction manager
Summary
County engineer reported the Mono County jail construction is proceeding on schedule with about 18% of contract invoices submitted; supervisors debated contracting out construction management versus using county staff and asked public works to return with cost and capacity analyses.
County engineer Kalyn Dodd updated the Mono County Board of Supervisors May 12 on construction progress at the new Mono County jail and opened a discussion about whether to hire an external construction‑management firm.
Dodd said county invoicing to the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) has begun and that about $5.5 million of invoices have been approved against the construction contract (roughly 18% of contract value), while approximately 10% of physical work is in place on site. “We are pretty much exactly where we expected to be at this time of year,” Dodd told the board, describing recent milestones including completion of the footing pours and preparation for floor slab pours.
The nut graf: Supervisors focused on construction management options — whether to keep daily coordination in‑house or contract an external firm — balancing the risk of overstretching public‑works staff against the cost of outside management. Dodd estimated the project’s internal construction‑management workload currently equates to roughly half to one full‑time position split across public‑works staff.
Board members expressed differing views. Supervisor Peters and others argued that an external construction manager can serve as risk mitigation and help avoid mistakes as complexity rises; Supervisor Kreitz and some colleagues asked whether building in internal capacity (hiring a project manager for county service beyond this one project) might be a better long‑term investment. Public works committed to return to the board with a comparison of what would need to be deferred if managed in‑house, and a menu of outside contract options and cost estimates.
Dodd also summarized recent change orders (a net decrease of $10,757 for design corrections and electrical adjustments) and said procurement for fixtures, furnishings and equipment is underway to streamline move‑in later in construction. The board did not take a final action on construction management; staff will return with a recommendation and cost analysis.
What’s next: Public works will present a short‑term plan showing which internal tasks would be deferred if construction management remains in‑house, a range of outside construction management contract proposals and associated costs, and how a contract option would fit within the existing jail budget.
