A delay in delivery of the permanent electrical panel for the Ripley County Detention Center effectively halted plans to open on June 1; however commissioners have been told they should be able to count on having the jail ready for prisoners by July 1.
Braidy Heisserer of Sides Construction said he was able to get a temporary panel, an unexpected blessing, and has installed it.
He said, “The permanent panel should be here May 25, and it shouldn’t take long to swap them out. The temporary panel was hooked up within a couple of hours.”
Shawn Huffman, project manager with Dille-Pollard, engineers, asked, “Will Accurate Control and the electronics people be able to do anything using the temporary panel?”
“All they can actually do is install the equipment, but they can mount speakers and cameras, and basically have everything ready to hook up,” Heisserer said.
There is a catch, he added, “They don’t want to make two trips, because they are based in Texas. But they have a week’s worth of installation without the permanent panel.”
Heisserer said his goal is to try and coerce the security company to come and get the preliminary installation accomplished, then return after May 25 and make everything live and permanent.
Dennis Cox, detention center administrator, asked, “So, the only thing that has to wait for permanent panel (and security to be established) is the actual housing of prisoners. That means I can get in and do everything else, right?”
By “everything else” Cox was referring to installing kitchen and laundry appliances. He is also hoping for a more established timeline so that he knows when he can hire employees and get them trained.
The generator, which also was delayed, is no longer an issue. It is built and on the docks ready for delivery.
“The generator should get here (May 10),” said Heisserer.
The generator is for back-up, but it also has to be onsite before prisoners can be housed in the jail.
With security installation hanging in the balance, Heisserer stated he should be able to hand over the keys to the building sometime on or before mid-June.
Presiding Commissioner Jesse Roy said, “I want to schedule an open house. I am hoping by next week we should know enough for me to be able to do that.”
Since he became administrator, Cox said he has tried to visit the detention center daily to take measurements and gauge progress.
Cox asked for crews to seal all the flooring seams, including the cell pods, which were not originally included in the work plan.
He also said, “I feel like there should be (chain-length) fencing around the generator and some type of roof over it for protection.“
A shelter for the generator is not part of the scope of work for the project. It will be the county’s responsibility; however, the cost can qualify as a cash-match on the grant.
There will be a similar fence around the sallyport. Cox said he will seek out a company and get separate quotes for those.
Amy Baugus of Ozark Foothills Regional Planning Commission, who has managed the grants, said as the project gets completed, she will need proof of the county’s in-kind contributions and any purchases that will be applied to the cash-match items.
Roy stated the county should have no difficulty meeting both requirements.
Huffman also pointed out the time has come to set a date to walk through and go over the construction “punch list.” That needs to take place as soon as the permanent panel is in place.
He would like to conclude that list by June 1.
Ultimately, Cox asked the question in everyone’s mind.
“So, feasibly we should be able to open the jail by the first of July?”
Heisserer indicated that in spite of the work details still to be completed, he remains optimistic that a July 1 opening can still happen.
“That puts you a year out from when you did your groundbreaking, which is pretty quick, really,” commented Huffman.
“It could certainly have been a whole lot worse,” affirmed Commissioner Gary Emmons.
Commissioners Emmons and Roy commended the team, Sides Construction, Dille-Pollard, Amy Baugus of OFRPC, and Cox, a latecomer hired in March, for dedicated commitment to the project.