GREENFIELD — A jail facility that could temporarily house over 120 inmates could cost Hancock County $7 million if built downtown and upwards of $10.5 million if put outside Greenfield, consultants say.
Representatives from Indianapolis-based RQAW spoke about the estimates at Tuesday’s Hancock County Board of Commissioners meeting. The options not only included two previously proposed temporary modified semitrailer units, but a permanent jail housing pod that could be installed before building a complete jail.
Dustin Frye, director of construction services for RQAW, said the permanent structure, which would consist of about 20,000 square feet worth of space as “half a pod,” would house 158 inmates and could cost about $10.5 million. The pod’s design includes a temporary kitchen, laundry, nurse’s office and intake space.
The proposed location for the pod is on a piece of county-owned farmland commonly called the county farm, along U.S. 40 between County Roads 400E and 500E. Members of the Hancock County Council have previously voiced support to build a new county jail and temporary trailers at the location.
The pod would be a quarter of a full jail facility, Frye said, and the space would be reconfigured once a full jail is built, if the county decides on the permanent building for the temporary inmate relief.
“It would be money spent that would contribute to the overall project versus a trailer option that may cost in addition to a raw permanent solution,” Frye said.
The modified temporary trailer units, which would be installed through Missouri-based All Detainment Solutions, could cost $7 million for a 16-trailer downtown facility and $9 million for 21 modified trailers at the county farm. RQAW estimates trailer installation to last nine months and 12 months for the pod.
Maj. Brad Burkhart, chief deputy of the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department, said All Detainment Solutions representatives told him the construction cost would last six months, not nine months as RQAW estimates.
Commission President Brad Armstrong said a temporary downtown facility is the most efficient solution to help alleviate inmate overcrowding. The 157-bed Hancock County Jail has most recently had about 220 inmates. By having a temporary solution, it could free up space in the current jail, Burkhart said. The downtown units could house 126 inmates, while the county farm facility could house 146 inmates.
The conversation about the temporary jail options as well as the recent back-and-forth decisions made by the county commissioners and county council spilled into Wednesday’s county budget committee meeting.
Many county council members took offense to commissioners reversing some of the decisions they made last month. The commissioners voted to begin negotiations with All Detainment Solutions to build the temporary jail downtown instead of at the county farm, overturning the council’s vote.
Councilwoman Jeannine Gray said the council also agreed to hire 16 additional jailers and finance a permanent jail for up to $65 million in the hopes of reaching an understanding with the commissioners.
“Nothing came forward in the commissioner’s meeting,” she said. “We gave you everything you wanted.”
Martha Vail, councilwoman at large, said she also thought the two boards would be able to come to a compromise following the September meeting.
“Just as a personal feeling, I thought well, the commissioners just slapped the council right in their face,” Vail said. “We want to get where we’re working together.”
Armstrong said the commissioners didn’t agree that the trailers should be installed at the county farm.
Councilmen Kent Fisk and Bill Bolander said they’re in favor of building half a pod at the county farm. Fisk said he doesn’t think Greenfield officials would want temporary trailers downtown.
Gray said she would “concede” her hopes of putting the trailers outside of Greenfield and vote to put it downtown to help the sheriff’s department move forward. Gray said she recently toured the jail and said the experience was “overwhelming” to see so many inmates and jailers in such a small space.
“This is not about council and commission running amok between the two of us,” Gray said. “This is about getting them the help that they need.”
No matter what decision the commissioners propose on a temporary jail, it’s up to the council to finance the project. Most likely, the council would issue a bond to fund the facility, which would raise property taxes. County Attorney Ray Richardson said while any bond over $5 million would be subject to remonstrance, he’s not sure if 500 people would sign against the bond within a 30-day period.
Shelby and Vail, however, said they’ve heard from many Greenfield constituents who would not only fight against a permanent downtown jail, but also a temporary facility.
“I know we want it done as quickly as we can,” Vail said, “but don’t railroad this through where the taxpayers don’t have a say.”
