GREENSBURG – Decatur County Commissioners Mark Koors, Rick Nobbe and Jerome Buening met Monday. County auditor Janet Chadwell also was in attendance.
Discussion of a new jail was one of the primary focuses of the meeting.
Financing construction of a new jail was discussed. Nobbe mentioned there were two options for bonding the construction: A competitive sale and a negotiated sale. Citing the pros and cons of both, Nobbe said overall cost figures have been requested and the decision will be based on those figures.
The new jail will be based on the Adams County Jail design, Chris Grabosky of Maxwell Construction said.
“Hopefully, we’ll be able to make the design documents public on May 14,” he added.
Grabosky said the design will allow for future expansion using portable jail units, or possible permanent expansion construction.
It was decided the fencing currently bordering the location can be saved and moved to the fairgrounds, and that the cost of the relocation be incorporated into the final estimate.
Officer Tony Blodgett reported on current jail conditions, saying that for first quarter of 2018 the jail population averaged 110 inmates with an average of 12 being housed outside the county. The closest facility housing Decatur County inmates is in Knox County, a 2.5 hour drive. It was reported that for the first quarter of the year, $40,000 to $45,000 was being spent on transporting them to and from hearings.
Blodgett reported investigating a company called All Detainment Solutions (ADS) to possibly alleviate current overcrowding at the existing jail and the discussed new jail construction.
ADS manufactures mobile “pods” that can be transported to the existing site, hooked up to existing water, sewage and electrical, and are lease-to-own. No concrete foundations are necessary, and they are easily hooked up. He said that costs are currently being calculated.
The commissioners requested the costs of the proposed additional pods be added to the cost of the new jail, but be considered separately.
Blodgett commented that with current jail overcrowding conditions, the summer was going to be “difficult at best.”