JEFFERSON – The Ashtabula County Public Safety Center Building Committee unanimously approved moving to a third phase of development for an expansion of the county jail after a presentation on Tuesday, Sept. 15, at the Old Courthouse.
Casey Kozlowski, president of the Ashtabula County Board of Commissioners, said the vote is just the latest step marking nearly a year of work in expanding the jail from 96 beds to 216.
Eric Ratts, a principal architect at DLZ Corp., offered a look at the redacted design documents, a preliminary view at the planned building before the architectural firm moves on to drafting construction documents, which should be finished by December.
The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections Bureau of Adult Detention will be reviewing and approving the project at several points along the way to ensure the new facility is safe and secure for inmates and staff, as well as to aid with staff recruiting and retention in a “tough environment.”
The expanded jail will be a single floor with a mezzanine level, with 216 beds, according to Ratts.
There will be 184 general population beds and 32 beds in the SHU, or Special Housing Unit. General population will be split between cells holding two people each and a dormitory-style unit. SHU will have two six-person units and a larger 20-person unit.
The complex’s main entrance will be moving to the west, where the Peace Officers Memorial Park will be relocated next to the new main entrance to make room for staff parking, according to Ratts.
A planned renovation of the existing facility will allow the safe and secure movement of people from the jail to the courts and back, according to Ratts.
John Bort, director of pre-construction services at Granger Construction Co., said the overall construction budget, plus fees, as of the time of the meeting is $63.3 million. This includes a 4-percent design contingency and a 3-percent construction contingency, both of which can be drawn down as the project proceeds and the risk of unanticipated expenses drops.
Chrissy Anderson, project manager with Granger, said bidding for trade contracts and awards is scheduled for January 2027, with mobilization set for March.
Renovation of the existing building will begin in September 2028, leading to an overall project completion in June 2029.
Janet Discher, county administrator, said the project is being financed by a combination of federal, state and county funds, including $20 million in reserve cash and a planned $25.43 million in bonded debt.
The $20 million in cash was set aside from $14 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding, as well as a recent 25-percent increase in sales tax receipts and increased income from the county’s interest-bearing accounts.
The bonds issued to finance the project would cost the county $1.6 million a year if the bonds’ term is 37 years, according to Discher. She added that having the state pay down the county’s debt on the Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake has allowed the county to free up the funds it will need to pay the debt service.
Since 2011, Disher said, the county has set aside $1 million a year of inside millage revenue to pay bonded debt, most of which was previously going to debt on the Lodge. The county also generates $750,000 a year from its transfer fee, which was also previously going toward the Lodge debt.
Juvenile Court Judge Albert Camplese, a committee member, expressed concerns whether the number of beds is sufficient, given that the county must house people convicted of low-level felonies. He also asked if there is a plan to keep misdemeanor and felony offenders segregated.
Ratts showed him an unredacted floorplan, which he said showed the layout of the jail and how it can be used to keep different populations separated if necessary. Camplese said he was satisfied.
Camplese also raised reopening the county’s Felony Drug Court, which he said could help with operating costs by keeping low-level, nonviolent drug offenders out of the jail.
Sheriff Bill Niemi said that decision lies with the county court system, but that he agreed.
“We are not a hospital,” he said.
“Not having that tool is a significant problem,” Camplese said.
