Firm offers expertise with jail project
Staff reporter
Marion County Commission wanted to hear from an architect firm with the experience of designing and constructing jail facilities.
Dennis Smith, president, and Martin (Tony) Rangel, architect of Law Kingdon, Inc. of Wichita came prepared Monday with plans, photographs, and information about the Sumner County Jail and other projects they had designed.
Following a brief summary of steps the county had already taken (commission completing training for officials considering a new facility, jail census study, jail design, construction costs, and process to secure funds for bonds), the architects fielded questions and presented a variety of information.
The architects emphasized that they would not recommend Marion County duplicate the floor plan of the Sumner County Jail. Instead they recommended the county's needs first be identified. They recommended an independent consultant be hired to provide a judicial study, not just a jail census study as previously done by the county.
Commissioner Dan Holub, who toured the Sumner County Jail with Marion County Sheriff Lee Becker, asked about the flat roof at the new jail.
"The only negative thing I saw at Sumner County was a flat roof," Holub said.
Rangle responded that actually the roof was at a angle of a quarter of an inch per foot.
"We heard the same comment in Sumner County," Smith said. "If designed correctly, you will have very little problem with a flat roof."
He added that his company, which has been in operation for 40 years, has successfully designed that type of roof for many years.
Rangle added that the design and construction of roofs are different than 20 years ago.
Smith said his firm also would be willing to mitigate on behalf of the county with the state fire marshal regarding issues of the current jail building.
The firm is licensed in the 50 states and has designed projects in 45.
Sumner County
The jail building situation in Sumner County was different than the current situation in Marion County. Sumner County was under the gun by state officials to make changes to the jail facility which was on the third floor of the courthouse.
With that project, there were four other components — update courthouse at a cost of $800,000, site development and install utilities to new jail site for $200,000, extend road to jail for $80,000, and convert former jail into storage areas for $270,000.
The 123-bed, 37,000 square-foot jail project was a cost of $6.8 million. That price included pretty much everything — fixtures, furniture, equipment, and landscaping.
The total bond package was $9.5 million.
The work began in 2003 with cost estimates. A one-cent sales tax was passed in April, 2004 and bonds were sold in July, 2004.
An increase in sales tax was not an easy sale, Rangle said. Twice before the county had tried and failed to pass the increase.
"A sales tax is the most fair way to pay for the project," Rangle said.
"It's a hard sale sometimes," Smith said.
Public perception is hard to change, Rangle added, but constituents should be confident that the sales tax truly is a sunset tax, that will go away when the bond is paid.
"It's not up to the county to control," Rangle said. It's out of their hands and into the hands of the state to monitor.
With the sales tax increase to 7 percent county-wide, Smith said it didn't change people's shopping habits or decrease the sale of large ticket items.
The firm assisted the county in locating the best site. They looked at building near the Sumner County Courthouse but determined it wasn't feasible.
The building is located near a residence. Concerns were expressed by the resident about the aesthetics of the building.
The Sumner County Jail has a brick exterior to look less institutional, and landscaping will provide a natural buffer between the facility and the homeowner.
The county is planning to retire the bond much earlier than the projected 13-year period.
There are 19 detention staff members. The facility can accommodate work release programs for males and females, has numerous solitary cells so inmates can be classified for various reasons, and cameras that cover nearly every inch of the facility.
In the coming weeks, a consultant will visit the commission to discuss options regarding a judicial study to determine the needs of the county.
When needs are identified, then a campaign could begin with county residents serving as a committee to supply information to constituents to prepare for a bond issue.
