Committee selects jail architect

Discussion was held, but no action taken, on a jail architect to design a new Gage County Detention Center.

“The steering committee on March 5 made a unanimous choice for an architect firm for the design of a new Gage County Law Enforcement Center is SFS Architect firm of Kansas City, Mo.,” Bob Sykes, chairman of the jail steering committee, told the county board Wednesday.

Sykes said the decision was made “based on the information received prior to the interviews and during the interviews.”

Most of the jail steering committee members attended the meeting to show their support of the decision.

“As you see behind me today, we have our steering committee here, which we’re ready to go forward, and we think it’s very important,” Sykes said.

Sykes urged the board to move forward with a decision promptly.

“We can’t start second-guessing ourselves or we’re going to lose credibility,” he said.

A preliminary county board agenda released Friday included action to “approve or disapprove the architect for New Jail Project.”

Supervisor Gary Barnard pointed out that the motion had since been removed.

“Just so to clarify to everybody, there was going to be an action and it was taken off the agenda, pretty much just shortly. I don’t know if it was yesterday or when, we were actually going to vote on it today and now it’s not on there,” Barnard said.

Chairman Rex Adams countered that the item was not “taken off shortly,” but was removed from the agenda Monday morning around 10 a.m.

Adams said it was decided that it would be sent to a committee consisting of the chairman of the law enforcement committee, the chairman of the finance committee, the chairman of the board of supervisors and the sheriff, and then the information would be presented to the board.

Adams asked Sykes if the jail steering committee had called any references on any of the architects.

“No. We took the information presented at, well, we got three architects handed down to us. There should have been a reason why we got three of them down there. Some of that, I guess, if you want to make assumptions, should’ve been done prior to the recommendations,” Sykes responded.

Again Sykes urged the board to move forward.

“And again as I’m stating here — if we start second-guessing ourselves on every issue, where are we going to go?” Sykes said. “We worked from the information. It was unanimous, and we felt that that’s where we’re going forward.

“Again, we’ve been at this 20 months, and here we go again. The need’s out there, and I’ll say it again, I’ve said it before, let’s go forward so we can get it to the voters. There’s a need out there every day.”

The need Sykes referred to was mainly the cost of the jail, among other structural and efficiency issues.

The current jail, built in 1977, is a 30-bed facility. The jail averages 40 inmates per day, Gage County Sheriff Millard “Gus” Gustafson said. The average 10 inmates per day housed in other counties cost the county $60 per day per inmate, plus any necessary medical costs.

On Wednesday, the board also signed the final draft of a contract between the county and Gary and Karen Higgins for a land option on a 16-acre tract just off of Highway 4, adjacent to the ESU No. 5 building on West Court Street. The board approved the agreement with a 6-1 vote, with Supervisor Gary Barnard against.

In other board news:

— The Gage County Visitors Bureau nominated and the board approved Steven Fortier of the New Victorian Inn for the Beatrice/Gage County Convention and Visitors Bureau Advisory Board to replace KJ Patel who turned in her resignation from the board.

— Jane Ford-Witthoff gave the Public Health Solutions annual report.

— Marlin Kliewer, Highway Superintendent, made his report on the general operations of the highway department. He announced the work week change to four 10-hour days. The new hours for the highway department will be Monday through Thursday, 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

— Paul Korslund, District Judge, made a request for addition funds for his current budget. The money will be used to cover court costs and attorney fees in Gage County District Court. The finance committee recommended that the board approve a $30,000 increase, $6,000 less than what Korslund recommended. This number is $30,000 more than the board-approved budget for the 2008-2009 fiscal year, and $20,000 above the budget that Korslund’s office originally proposed at the beginning of the fiscal year.

— A public hearing was held on addressing emergency service contracts. Mark Meints spoke as both the Gage County emergency manager and the Wymore Fire and Rescue chief. Brian Daake, Beatrice Fire/EMS chief, said that due to the several years the contracts have been in place, they need to be looked at again. Ron Miller, Clatonia Fire chief said help from the county is necessary.

— Sheriff Millard “Gus” Gustafson introduced the new Offender Watch program, which can keep people aware of the sex offenders in their areas.

— The contract for Shawn Weise with emergency management was renewed by the board.

— Change order No. 1 was approved by the board, costing an extra $5,552 on the $392,000 roof project. The cost will now install Carlisle TPO Totally Adhered Roof Assemble in lieu of the mechanically fastened system on the original bid. This was due to a possible problem on a flat portion of the roof where “slapping” of the shingles due to wind could possibly damage the new roof in that area.

— The board instructed county attorney Randy Ritnour to draft and send a letter to all contracted ambulance service providers in Gage County, notifying them of the supervisors’ intent to end the current contract and to enter into a new contract effective Aug. 1.

— The plans and specifications for the Courthouse Renovation Project were approved and the bid opening is set for 10 a.m. on April 22.