Jail work now in new phase

By STEVE GARBACZ
The Commercial Review
Renovation work on the existing building of the jail is moving along as construction crews are cutting out all seven of the old cellblocks.
“We’re doing the demolition work,” said Jeff Badders of SchenkelShultz Architecture in his update to the Jay County Building Corporation Thursday. “Cutting all the steel bars, tearing down the walls.”
Four of the seven cellblocks will be remodeled into low-security cells for work release inmates and jail trustees and then additional cellblocks for female inmates.
The other three blocks are being cut out to form a training room and offices for road officers.
The 911 and dispatch center will be expanded and additional offices will be added.
Badders said the move into the new jail went smoothly and the tours on the weekend prior to the move drew more than 1,000 people.
“Everyone I heard that went through said it was really nice,” said board member Mark Tatman.
Badders also informed the board that he recently reviewed the jail expansion budget with the board’s financial agent and found that the project is continuing to move within its means.
“We’re fine on paying our interest and our construction funds and contingency funds are all fine,” he said.
Board member Todd Wickey expressed a concern that, after viewing the completed jail expansion, he noticed that there were places that inmates could potentially injure themselves, such as jumping over the second floor railing.
Badders told Wickey that those concerns were looked at, but that additional safety features were expensive and potentially ineffective because if someone wants to injure themselves or someone else, they’ll find a way to do it. He also told Wickey that if problems did arise, those types of features could be added to the jail at a later date.
The board then signed the monthly claims of $241,849.67 and also signed two change orders that will add $21,796.31 and $20,083.64 back into the project budget.[[In-content Ad]]