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Sheriff urges priority on jail mental‑health pod; prior estimates top $3–5M
Summary
Sheriff Eric DeBoer described long‑standing plans for a dedicated mental‑health pod at the county jail, outlined safety and service benefits and said earlier engineering estimates ran roughly $3–5 million; commissioners asked for a planning update ahead of budget decisions.
Sheriff Eric DeBoer told the board the county’s jail is housing increasing numbers of people with significant mental‑health needs and urged the board to prioritize a dedicated mental‑health pod that would provide more secure, on‑site services and reduce risks from moving inmates through shared spaces.
"Our end goal is that anyone leaves our facility better and in a better place than when they got there," the sheriff said, explaining the security and treatment rationale for the pod. He described prior architectural work completed under a previous administration and said the county has rudimentary plans but that the project would require substantial funding or a partnership with Community Mental Health.
Commissioners and the sheriff discussed cost estimates and timing. The sheriff said earlier engineering and architect estimates were in the range of about $3 million to $5 million when the project was first scoped; he cautioned that current construction costs could push that figure higher. Multiple commissioners asked that administration provide a timeline, ballpark figures and whether the project could be advanced as a 2027 priority if it cannot be bid in time to influence the FY26 CIP.
The board did not make a funding decision at the meeting; members requested additional detail from administration and sheriff’s staff to inform budget planning and the CIP process.
