Ripley County’s new detention center walls are up, doors and windows are in, and builders say they will next put a roof on the structure.
At a Jan. 11 meeting of the Ripley County Commission, Braidy Heisserer of Sides Construction, said crews at the detention center are
“still cruising along” and “are still on schedule.”
The only thing that has thus far hindered progress, said Heisserer, is “the site is still a swamp. It does need to dry up.”
At Wednesday’s update Heisserer said crews were stacking material, preparing to do the roofing.
“Once we have the roof on, we will finish the electric and plumbing,” he said, estimating builders will be at that stage in about two weeks.
Heisserer said, “We have walls. You can see rooms now.”
Presiding Commissioner Jesse Roy commented at this point his job will be to “factor in start-up costs for the 2023 budget.”
A rough estimate is that it is likely to cost about $30,000, to get started, for items like uniforms, personal hygiene products, toiletries, bedding, etc., not including incidental inmate expenses such as medical. The estimate is based on the jail population for a year, with 32 prisoners per day.
The commission intends to hire an administrator, but in the meantime several questions have been brought up that Roy said the detention center administrator will need to know.
For instance, he asked whether the cabinetry and computers are included in the construction bid.
Shawn Huffman, project coordinator with Dille-Pollard, was present at the update and affirmed that both are included.
Roy stated another question that had come up, is whether the originally planned “kitchenette” can be upgraded.
“The room is small, and I know that we originally planned to have a microwave for warming up food,” said Roy.
He asked whether plans could be modified to include a range of adequate size to prepare inmate meals rather than have food catered in, which is a huge expense.
Huffman told the commission, “That can be done, but you will lose a cabinet.”
He said the space should accommodate a standard, 30-inch range, and he said a ductless range hood can be installed which is compatible with the compression system.
Heisserer interjected that if a 220 outlet is required, it would have to be surface mounted, and will not be inside the walls.
However, he commented, “It’s smart to make these changes now.”
The drainage ditch remains a concern for the commission. Smith & Co. had sent a drawing showing recommended specifications for the ditch.
Western District Commissioner Keith Whiteside had questions about a manhole that appears to be situated within the ditch.
“The drawing shows one side of the manhole sticking out. I worry that whatever depth we make the ditch, whether it would stay that depth or a big rain would wash it out.”
Whiteside wondered if the ditch should be shifted to the right or left of the manhole, instead. A shift to the left would be on Hometown Pharmacy property.
City Mayor Dennis Cox, who was present at the commission’s request, also looked over plans to confirm whether the ditch placement factors in a high pressure sewer line which he said runs to the field formerly known as the “Smith field,” westward down to the river.
The county will be digging the drainage ditch as part of its in-kind work, said Roy. “I am not comfortable proceeding, yet, we also don’t want to delay Ozark Border from laying the electric lines,” he said.
Whiteside agreed. “I think we need to have someone from Smith & Co., come in and explain things, and maybe have a meeting at the site with the other property owner,” he said, to firmly decide once and for all where the ditch will be.