The project to expand the Claiborne County Jail might just cost a bit more than expected, in spite of tweaks to the individual line items in project contractor Bell & Associates cost budget.
The firm had promised during an earlier meeting of the Claiborne Correctional Partnership Act Committee (the Jail Committee) to tweak the numbers for a lower bottom line.
However, the adjusted costs seemed to leave the members with more questions than answers. In particular, county officials will need to decide which of three types of material to use in constructing the jail addition – masonry, precast cells or brick veneer.
Members of the Jail Committee sweated for some 90 minutes over the reworked budget before bringing the matter to a special-called workshop of the full Claiborne Commission, held directly after the committee meeting.
Committee chairman Steve Mason said during the workshop the committee members had “run out of time” and were unable to make any clear decisions.
After perusing his copy of the contractor Value Analysis Log, commissioner Dan Longworth asked that the Jail Committee members make the final decisions before bringing their recommendations to the full commission for vote.
The construction portion of the project is currently set at $10.6 million. However, various fees and “soft costs” could bump the final tab to a high of $11.3 million, if the county decides to go with the option to use precast units with brick inset.
Cope Associates architect Peter Ludman, who is overseeing the construction of the jail expansion, agreed with contractor representatives Elvis Butler and Tony England that precast units would be the best route to go.
Butler said precast units have been used extensively in all the big prisons since the mid 1990s.
He cited lower maintenance costs, better quality control, increased energy efficiency and higher security as major reasons for choosing this method.
There would also be a three months’ savings in construction time, Ludman said, if the precast units were used.
This method would cost about $11.1 million, after additional fees and other costs.
During the committee meeting, County Mayor Jack Daniels questioned the ever-increasing cost margin.
“We took the bid that came in at $10,020,000. How can I go back to them and explain this,” said Daniels.
Apparently, the original bid was done configuring the use of masonry block and brick, which Ludman said during the workshop, carries a base cost equal to the initial bid amount. Adding fees and other costs, that amount jumps to some $10.7 million.
During the committee meeting, Ludman said there could be a quick savings of $40,000 to $50,000 on the construction portion of the project if the county agrees to do away with extra grading and insulation – potentially slicing the proposed $10.6 million construction tab to some $10.1 million.
From a long list of 26 items, the contractor’s Value Analysis Log shows areas where savings can be realized. Two “acceptable” items involve exchanging brands of light fixtures and using wall mounted instead of floor mounted bunks, at a savings of some $31,000.
During the workshop, county finance officer Sam Owens estimated it would take about 17 years to pay off the bond issue and about 12 years of carrying the capital outlay notes.
The county should create no penalty costs associated with an early pay off if a “call date” is established on the front side, said Owens.
He estimated an additional 100 federal inmates would generate about $1.5 million beyond their normal housing expenses.
County property owners would likely see a 12 cents to 13 cents tax increase if the jail expansion does not happen, due to decertification of the existing jail and the loss of revenues from housing the federal inmates, said Owens.
An additional 17 cents increase could occur in a two-year span of time if the county is sued, he said.
He cited a lawsuit lodged against Greene County and the subsequent increase of 60 cents on property taxes due to the suit.
Grainger County, said Owens, was sued for some $34 million due to overcrowding issues in their jail.
The Jail Committee will meet in another special session at 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 21. The meeting will be held in the Claiborne Justice Center training room.
Reach Jan Runions at 423-254-5588 or on Twitter @scribeCP.
