Miami County commissioners to consider renovation costs for jail

A new jail would cost $100M
Miami County Commissioners are considering a proposed county jail project that could be funded by a temporary sales tax increase. The proposed project would add 200 new beds and could cost more than $100 million. STAFF FILE PHOTO

Credit: HANDOUT

Credit: HANDOUT

Miami County Commissioners are considering a proposed county jail project that could be funded by a temporary sales tax increase. The proposed project would add 200 new beds and could cost more than $100 million. STAFF FILE PHOTO

Despite doubts it could be an option, Miami County commissioners said they are interested in paying consultants to look at the 1970s downtown Troy jail to see if it can be renovated for future incarceration use and at what cost.

The commissioners; Sheriff Dave Duchak; consultants from Henningson, Durham and Richardson Inc., or HDR; and others met July 17 to take a closer look at jail needs following a report earlier this year from HDR recommending a new jail on the grounds of the current Miami County Incarceration Facility. The cost of a recommended 200-bed maximum security jail, including 32 new medical beds, was estimated at $100 million.

The proposal calls, too, for reuse of the Incarceration Facility’s existing 240 minimum security beds, its lobby, laundry and food service areas, among others. Duchak said a new facility should include sheriff’s office administration space plus offices for the county Emergency Management Agency and the backup county 911 center.

Commissioners said options to pay for a jail solution could include a sales tax increase, which would have to be approved by voters.

The $100 million, the commission said, might be more than voters would support.

“We wanted to regroup and determine the path forward. This (report detail) was a lot for all of us to digest,” Duchak said.

Miami County isn’t alone when it comes to concern over the condition of existing jail space and what options might be available, said consultant Matt Skarr. Some counties are at the point of asking voters for funding while others are looking to reduce the size of proposed new facilities and others have selected to look at renovating what they have now, he said.

For Miami County, renovation of the downtown jail has been suggested despite its current poor condition, its operations spread across three floors and other barriers, he said.

The downtown jail, built as part of the county Safety Building housing county offices, probably would have to be gutted and rebuilt to meet current standards, Duchak said.

“I don’t know if it would be economically feasible and how much the state might provide (for construction),” he said. The state granted the county funds for the jail assessment.

An assessment of the downtown jail future likely will cost around $50,000, although a formal cost would need to be calculated and approved by commissioners, Skarr said. The report should take 60 to 90 days to complete once a contract is in place.

“I think we need to do our due diligence and look at the existing jail to see what the numbers are,” said Commission President Ted Mercer.

Commissioner Wade Westfall said county leaders “sooner or later have to start going to the citizens,” explaining why a jail is needed, and why the cost is so high.

The consulting company offers an added service of helping county officials sell a sales tax and project proposal to the community, Skarr said. At least one-half of the company’s clients use this added service, he said.

A cost for this assistance was not discussed.

Contact this contributing writer at nancykburr@aol.com.

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