Pieces coming together for proposed jail project

Due to an increase in construction costs, the estimated price tag for a new jail facility might be higher than county commissioners anticipated.

However, prices are expected to peak soon and could be lower again by spring, according to Larry Goldberg of Goldberg Group Architects, PC of St. Joseph, Mo.

Goldberg reported to commissioners Monday what he has learned in the past week or so, based on law enforcement center construction projects his firm is involved in at Paola and Seward, Neb.

The price of concrete has "gone up somewhat," from about $105 or $110 per yard in place, to as high as $130 per yard in place, he said.

"That's a little bit of a shocker, but not too much," Goldberg said. "The real shocker is structural steel."

Steel prices have increased from $2,400 or $2,600 per ton erected, up to $3,400 or $3,600 per ton erected, he said.

Goldberg said the increase is similar to what was experienced in 2004 to 2006, when "China was buying all the structural steel they could get their hands on."

The total estimated cost of the construction project has gone from $6.5 million to $6.7 million.

The cost of a 21,000 square-foot facility has increased from about $260 per square-foot to about $290 per square-foot. Goldberg said he has decreased the administrative cost from $210 to $190, which makes the total increase for construction about $200,000. The most recent estimate includes the cost of land acquisition, which is figured at up to $150,000.

The total cost does not include such items as the underwriter fees. The estimated payoff for the project is now at $6,842,770.

"The point is, I cannot tell you if we'll need the extra money -- all of it or some of it, because we are advised that this little spike is scheduled to start going back down this spring, so this whole thing may end up being a tempest in a teapot," Goldberg said. "What I don't want to do is see you all short of money when we move forward ... I just wanted to be a little more conservative than that."

The estimated cost of the facility had to be determined before the commissioners could know how much of a sales tax increase to request from voters in April. Because the county clerk's office is facing a Feb. 27 deadline to submit the April 7 ballot to the Kansas Secretary of State's office, details of the question had to be hammered out Monday. A resolution will have to be passed when commissioners meet again Friday. County Clerk Kendell Mason reminded commissioners they will not meet Feb. 16, as the courthouse will be closed in observance of Presidents' Day, and her office will be finalizing the ballots that week.

Commissioners had a draft copy of the resolution in hand Monday, which shows the requested sales tax increase has gone from .35 percent to .40 percent.

During a conference call, Greg Vahrenberg, financial advisor from Piper Jaffray of Leawood, said he has reviewed the county's sales tax revenues dating back to 2007. Because of the April 2013 hail storm, sales tax increased considerably in 2013 and 2014 as people purchased materials to make roof, siding and other hail storm-related repairs. Vahrenberg said because those two years were not typical, he has based his figures on 2012 sales tax figures.

The commissioners also focused on the final draft of a brochure that will be used to promote the proposed project to voters. Martin said he wants the finished brochures available for the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Coffee, which will be held at 8 a.m. Thursday at the Southeast Kansas Regional Correctional Center.

Even though the brochure was reviewed and revised during the Feb. 2 and 6 meetings, Third District Commissioner Harold Coleman said he is still not comfortable with some of the wording. He has been adamant that the correct information be provided to voters.

"Five years from now, I don't want it said that 'Those commissioners lied to us,'" Coleman said.

The draft of the brochure provides an average cost of housing prisoners outside of Bourbon County, but Coleman's contention was that wording could be misconstrued. During the past year, the number of prisoners housed at other facilities has declined, as the county attorney's office has worked with the court system to maintain a lower jail population in Bourbon County.

That means the amount of money the county is spending to transport and house prisoners outside of Bourbon County has decreased. Coleman did not have those figures available Monday morning.

Also in question is the wording on the number of beds the facility will accommodate. The proposed plan will be for 74 finished beds, but if bids come in low enough, the commissioners could decide to finish another 16 beds. Either way, the facility will be built to accommodate 90 beds. The entire facility can be expanded in the future to 152 beds if needed.

Commissioners recessed the meeting at 1 p.m., and were scheduled to resume at 2 p.m. to go over the brochure again with Martin. They were scheduled to have another conference call with Goldberg at 3 p.m. to relay any revisions made to the brochure.

Commissioners also agreed to meet with Goldberg and Vahrenberg at 9:45 a.m. Friday. Vahrenberg will meet with commissioners via teleconference.

Other business

* Commissioners approved and waived the fee for Houseley Communication to do boring work at 215th in order to lay a new service line for AT&T.

* Public Works Director Jim Harris provided the annual bids to supply the county with 90 culverts at various sizes. The bid was awarded to Welborn Sales Inc., of Salina, for $34,047.36. Judy's Iron & Metal Inc. of Fort Scott submitted a bid of $36,239.51.

* Commissioners discussed Senate Bill 98. If passed as is, the bill, introduced by Jacob LaTurner, District 13 Senator, would eliminate fees charged by government entities to provide copies of open records. Commissioners agreed the proposed change would not affect Bourbon County.

Mason said the county currently charges 35 cents per copy and a maximum of $18 per hour for labor needed to locate and copy open records documents.

* Bob Coffman suggested commissioners talk to those who have duck blinds at Elm Creek Lake before making any rule changes regarding public hunting at the lake.

He said he has hunted at the lake for many years and has a permanent blind set up.

Commission Chair Barbara Albright said the county is not changing hunting rules, but the county attorney's office is researching liability issues regarding permanent duck blinds.

"The question is, if a person didn't renew their contract, whether they can come back and get the blind if it's not portable," Albright said. "And another question is, whether the insurance company is aware people are hunting there."