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Jail project estimated at $35 million
Published Friday, September 5, 2008
“Sticker shock” greeted the Mower County Board of Commissioners Thursday night, when they learned how much it will cost to build a new jail and justice center.
“I think the building committee has a case of sticker shock after what we heard tonight,” said Ray Tucker, 2nd District county commissioner and chairman of the building committee.
Dave Tollefson, 5th District county commissioner and the other member of the building committee agreed, but also said, “We’re going to have to rely on the bids when they come in for the project. Hopefully, with competition for work and all they will bring it down.”
The sticker shock was unveiled Thursday night, when the commissioners hosted a public meeting with KKE Architects, Inc. and Knutson Construction Services, the construction management firm for the project.
Also present was a representative from Northland Securities, the bonding counsel retained by the county.
Only 20 people attended, but they heard plenty. According to the architects and construction manager it will cost $35,434,674 to build the proposed new 128-bed jail and justice center in downtown Austin.
That figure was computed despite some 80 changes made to the original schematic design of the new facilities and a reduction of 1,000 square feet in the design now at 101,000 square feet on two levels.
No definitive reasons for the price increases were given. However, it was learned the Minneseota Department of Corrections (DOC) has been a part of the discussions on staffing and other specificities of the jail such as staffing.
Coounty officials have blamed the DOC for many of their alleged jail over-crowding woes, including the lattest reduction to a 90-day lockup Mower County Jail.
Sara Douty, Austin Main Street Project coordinator, was the first to point out, the commissioners had set a ceiling of bonding for $27-million to finance a project originally projected to cost $30 million.
“We’re looking at around $36-million in up front costs on this project,” Douty began. “This does not include the $800,000 you have set aside for law enforcement center remodeling, plus the expected increases in staffing costs due to a much larger jail and justice center.”
“Then, you set a ceiling of $27-million in bonds for the project,” she added.
“How are we going to pay for this?” she asked.
Craig Oscarson, county coordinator, said the county has an estimated $3-million in reserves to help reduce the amount that will need to be raised by bonding.
Also, he said the commissioners had recently agreed to use wind output energy tax revenues on the project.
The meeting was light on questions from the audience. First District county commissioner candidate Dan Vermilyea asked the most, but only one private citizen spoke out.
Paul Helms pointed to cost savings measures in place, such as the state’s reduction of district court administration hours of service and the possibility a four-day work week could be considered by the commissioners for Mower County’s future as another example of strained finances in county government.
“I just feel we are not being looked after in the county properly,” Helms said.
Oscarson began the two-hour meeting saying, “We’re at the end of the design development stage,” which he called the “second to the last stoplight in this process.”
On Wednesday, Sept. 10, the commissioners will meet in special session to decide whether or not to proceed further.
If they do, they will authorize the architects and construction management firms to proceed with bid specification prior to taking bids in January or February 2009.
“That will be the last stoplight in the whole process,” Oscarson said.
The Sept. 10 meeting begins 10 a.m. in the commissioners’ meeting room.
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Comments
Posted by jimbennett (anonymous) on September 5, 2008 at 11:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This will end up at over 40 million.
We have elected officials that still say we are spending too much renting, that we need to hurry up and get this done so we can start saving money. There are NO savings. If there are savings why the talk of tax increases?
Cost to rent is 400,000 per year.
Cost to build is 4,000,000 per year.
This makes no sense. We have spent a couple million to date. If we stop today we will have waisted 1/2 of what we will waist every year for the next 25 years. STOP.
Posted by Grumpus (anonymous) on September 5, 2008 at 11:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Stop, indeed.
We are building this and relocating businesses that are viable RIGHT NOW so a few people can feel better about themselves, and their imagined legacy.
$30,000,000.00 was the cap. This project promises to cost at least 150% of that, and we will at no time pay less for jailing and transporting prisoners than we do right now.
It's time for this idiocy to stop. The only reason this idiocy continues is that some of our so-called leaders do not have the integrity to admit that this was a bad idea, one that will not save us one penny in jail expenses.
Posted by walkingcrow (anonymous) on September 5, 2008 at 12:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I've written here several times that it'd be in the $48 million range. Even with the newly "adjusted" cost, we are not being told the whole truth.
And we know how this boondoggle will be paid, don't we? Our property tax will skyrocket to unheard of levels.
Stop, now! Cut your losses, commissioners. Start over with a plan that makes sense, such as a 3rd floor addition to the existing facility.
Posted by jimbennett (anonymous) on September 5, 2008 at 1:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The only plan that makes sense is one that costs less than renting. If the payback is in the 10 year or less range, then think about it. Keep in mind that if you build anything you have to staff it. Staff bring with them an entire list of obligations, long term things like health care, etc... Renting is easy in, easy out... If things change (and the will) we are not stuck.
Posted by ms (anonymous) on September 5, 2008 at 2:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Let them know what you think!
from the County website:
Board of Commissioners
1st District
Commissioner Richard Cummings
P. O. Box 14
Lansing, MN 55950
507-437-1528
The 1st District includes the following townships: Lansing, Red Rock, Udolpho and Waltham. The following cities are in the first district: Brownsdale, Mapleview, Waltham and the 1st Ward, 1st Precinct of the City of Austin.
2nd District
Commissioner Raymond Tucker
P. O. Box 28
Dexter, MN 55926
507-584-6366 or 507-584-6767
The 2nd District includes the following townships: Adams, Bennington, Clayton, Dexter, Frankford, Grand Meadow, LeRoy, Lodi, Marshall, Pleasant Valley, Racine and Sargeant. The following cities are in the 2nd District:: Adams, Dexter, Elkton, Grand Meadow, LeRoy, Racine, Sargeant and Taopi.
3rd District
Commissioner David Hillier
1613 31st Street S.W.
Austin, MN 55912
507-437-4216
The 3rd District includes the following townships: Austin, Lyle, Nevada and Windom. The following cities are included in the 3rd District: Lyle, Rose Creek and the 2nd Ward 2nd Precinct of the City of Austin.
4th District
Commissioner Dick Lang
1027 4th Avenue N.E.
Austin, MN 55912
home: 437-3914
work: 437-7897/ 434-0589
fax: 434-0370
The 4th District includes all of the 3rd Ward of the City of Austin.
5th District
Commissioner Dave "Tolly" Tollefson
1703 16th Street SW.
Austin, MN 55912
507-433-1612
The 5th District includes the 1st Ward 2nd Precinct and the 2nd Ward 1st Precinct of the City of Austin.
Posted by joel (anonymous) on September 6, 2008 at 2:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree, stop this now!!! The last thing we need now is an unnecessary tax increase. If they decide to proceed with this stupidity we need to come together and protest or sign a petition or something...With gas/food prices so high this is the last thing we need....
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