County Board interviews jail architects

Roger Lichtman looked around the room full of Gage County employees and officials  Wednesday night.

“You’re about to engage on a long and strange journey.”

The journey Lichtman was referring to is the path toward a new county jail.

Lichtman, of The Lichtman Associates based in New Jersey, was one of three potential architecture firms to be interviewed during public meetings at the courthouse Wednesday night.

The other two firms in consideration and present Wednesday were Carlson West Povondra of Omaha and SFS Architecture of Kansas City, Mo.

Searching for a jail architect is the next step toward the possibility of a new Gage County Detention Center.

The current jail is overcrowded, Gage County Sheriff Millard “Gus” Gustafson said, and is costing the county a large sum of money to house prisoners in other jails, as well as in facility maintenance costs.

Each firm had an hour to present its plans for a better detention facility in Gage County. The preliminary plan, as discussed by Gustafson and the supervisors, calls for an 85-bed facility with room for future expansion if necessary.

Lichtman and associate James Robertson, of Voorhis/Robertson Justice Services, Inc. of Denver, presented first.

The two focused on the partnership they have.

“We are involved in every project we commit to,” Lichtman said. “We have a combined 60 years of experience in doing exactly this type of work.”

After touting their experience, Robertson gave a guided tour of what working with The Lichtman Associates would be like from day one.

Robertson said he has had more experience with a jail than just planning how to build one. In 1972, he started out as a correctional officer in Montgomery County in Maryland.

Because of this, Robertson claimed he could go so far as to improve on current tasks and eliminate unnecessary ones.

In planning, Lichtman and Robertson also said they would help make a staffing summary so Gage County would know how much would be spent on staffing and other costs that incur after the facility is built to avoid unforeseen costs.

“Your jail is a tool. It’s a tool that will either enhance or impede the staff that run it,” Lichtman said. “Anybody think your (current) jail enhances your staff?”

Giggles scattered around the room. Not a single hand rose above the crowd.

“I agree. I’ve been in your jail,” Lichtman laughed.

At 7 p.m., Carlson West Povondra stepped up with its presentation. President Albert Povondra was joined by mechanical engineer Vishal Khanna, civil engineer Mark Palmer and construction administrator Sean Wuller.

Povondra immediately touted work done in the field, both similar to Gage County’s needs as well as in close proximity to Gage County.

Of detention facilities constructed, Nebraska counties such as Lancaster, Platte, Dawson, Adams, Nemaha, Sarpy and Saunders had used Carlson West Povondra in previous projects.

Currently, Povondra said the company is working to finish a $12 million-plus facility in Saunders County, scheduled to open in March.

Povondra said he and his associates specialize in doing what is necessary to make sure a bond issue gets passed. That includes, he said, creating a pro-forma to present to the public, outlining the need for a new jail.

Presenting the firm’s “bond issue track record,” Povondra showed that bond issues the company has worked on in Saunders, Platte, Cass, Washington and Dawson counties in Nebraska and Madison County in Iowa have passed.

“(Bond issues) are going to be our emphasis,” he said.

No matter who the supervisors choose, Povondra encouraged them to tour other county jails to find out what worked with other facilities, as well as what didn’t work.

Khanna, mechanical engineer, encouraged the use of geothermal technology for a facility that operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Even though it’s expensive up front, it pays off in the long run, he said.

Wuller also said the company offers an 11-month warranty walk-through, where he will go through every inch of the building to make sure  it’s exactly how Carlson West Povondra designed it, and it’s exactly what Gage County paid for.

In 11 months, he will do a walk-through to make sure anything that needs fixed will get fixed free of charge.

At 8 p.m., Mike Christianer stepped up to represent the final presenting firm, SFS Architectural Firm, along with associates Kelly Stindt and Kwame Smith.

Christianer went straight into his familiarity with the project as well as the area.

“We focus on public architecture,” he said. “We specialize in justice architecture.”

Justice architecture, he defined, is construction involving public safety, such as correctional facilities, courthouses, etc.

“Personally, I have been in this firm for 30 years. I am your point of contact for this project,” he said.

With projects all over the Midwest, Christianer said he is comfortable with the location of the project, as well.

Christianer said his company specializes in many of the things the supervisors and the jail steering committee, headed by Bob Sykes, is looking for in a new facility.

“We don’t have a prototype to bring to you tonight,” he said. “Each one, we look at as a unique situation.”

Christianer emphasized that SFS works well with officials to keep within tight budgets if necessary.

Smith finds low maintenance, durable materials for construction so that, down the road, major renovations won’t be made immediately.

“We do this efficiently and thoroughly in our design process,” he said.

Stindt said the company works hard to get the public involved as well as keeping them completely informed on the project to which taxpayer money is going.

“All of our designs adhere to Nebraska standards, as well as ACA standards,” Smith said.

Adhering to ACA standards is important for the facility if Gage County wishes to make a profit by housing federal prisoners.

No decision was made Wednesday evening on which firm will be chosen.

“It may take a little bit to come to a decision,” Chairman Rex Adams said.