Jail bid team offers new design

Just two weeks ago city and county officials asked the Durrant Group to take a closer look at the request for proposal (RFP) to see if modifications could be made to the plan to meet the needs for a joint law enforcement center and jail and yet stay within the financial constraints imposed by judicial confirmation.

The company representatives returned this week with some possible solutions. Durrant Group representative Norm Werkler explained some of the issues the company had looked at as it sought a better solution.

High on the list of concerns expressed by Elmore County Commissioners and Mountain Home City Council members was the possibility of expansion to accommodate future growth. The original RFP seemed to limit both the city and county with little or no room for expansion.

Werkler said by flipping the design end for end from east to west on the site, each unit (the city's police department, the sheriff's offices and the jail), could be expanded independently. The plan allows maximum flexibility.

Under the new design, the company tried to give more distinction to the city police and county portion. The jail would have its own entrance, separate from the office areas. There would some shared area for the law enforcement offices -- a reception area and records department.

He suggested additional savings could be attained by combining the two law enforcement agencies' locker and shower rooms in the shared space area. He explained areas requiring high utility use, such as water and sewer, are more expensive to construct than office space.

The jail itself would have a 98-bed capacity, with 12 of those beds designated for work release inmates. Werkler explained that by converting a pod area from individual (or double-bunked) cells to a dorm unit, the costs could be reduced.

The company has worked to bring the annual lease payments to a level that would comply with the judicial confirmation. Werkler pointed out the cost to the county for the jail also included the new offices for the sheriff's department.

"We have done all we can to make this work for you," he said. He explained the company has worked closely with Skinner Fawcett, the company responsible for issuing the certificates of participation, to come up with a plan that would keep the county's lease payments at, or below, the $550,000 figure in the judge's ruling.

Walt Femling explained possibilities for anticipated revenues that could be generated through the new facility. He pointed out that beds could be rented to other counties and to the state. Each rented bed could bring the county $40-45 per day. Inmates granted work release must pay $25 per day to participate in the program. Even if the 12-bed work release unit was not filled to capacity all of the time, the revenues from the program could be significant.

The county could choose to contract with the federal government to house noncitizens (illegals).

Income could be generated through the telephone concession and through contracts for food services and laundry services with the juvenile facility.

Femling explained that "instead of costing the county $130,000, the jail will be making you that $130,000." Commissioner Larry Rose said he understands there can be no guarantees for the revenues. He feels uncomfortable about committing the county to spend more than it has, relying on anticipated revenues.

Nearly three hours after the meeting began, the commissioners voted unanimously to move on to the next step. They did ask Durrant representatives to continue to look for ways to pare down the overall costs of the project, but indicated they were ready to proceed.

In separate action at its own regular session, Mountain Home City Council also approved the plan and agreed to work with the Durrant Group for the financing and construction of the law enforcement center.