Citizens’ Capital Budget Advisory Committee
Wednesday, May 3, 2006
Meeting Summary
Members Present: Jaye Alexander, Tom Fitch, Tim Morgan, Michael Murdock, William Rakatansky, Barney Stewart, III
Members Absent: Christopher Gegg, Health Gilbert, Mark Legett
Staff Present: John McGillicuddy, Hyong Yi, Harry Weatherly, Sarah Heasley, Wanda Reeves, Trevor Minor
Other Attendees: Sheriff Pendergraph, Chip Bailey, Chief Shirley, Rachel Van Hoy, Mark Hahn, Gustavo Mibelli, Cheryl Neely, Dumont Clarke
I. Welcome
The meeting was called to order by Chairman Michael Murdock.
II. Sheriff Office Presentation
Sheriff Jim Pendergraph gave a brief presentation on the Sheriff Office’s preliminary capital requests. The first request that was discussed was Jail North Expansion.
Jail North Expansion
This project will allow for construction of a 1,000 bed expansion at the Jail North facility to meet the need for additional beds as the inmate population increases. The projected area of the addition will be 426,553 feet, and will include the Sheriff’s Department’s training facility which will be 12,722 square feet.
Q. Why is the Plan and Design total $20 million?
A. This amount is more than the basic fee for services. It includes code consultants and telecommunication design consultants on all new projects including green building design and furniture, etc.
Q. How much is saved by using a Construction Manager?
A. It was stated that a General Contractor and a Construction Manager do basically the same work and that the County look at the normal process of hiring a General Contractor.
Q. What type of Public Art would we get for $1.4 million?
A. Mark Hahn stated that we will get a very sifinigant piece of art work for $1.4 million. Mr. Hahn stated that the dollars was set for design and construction based on the ordinance the Board of County Commissioners passed a few years ago and that we have no control over that amount. He also stated that one of the features the new ordinance allows is pooling of the dollars. It might mean that the Public Art Commission would not recommend spending $396,000 for the jail but pool that out to arts where there is higher public contact.
Q. Why do you need Telecommunications/Green Design Consultants for a jail?
A. The Sheriff stated that there are more demands for computers in the jail and that having telecommunication consultants will save the staff time.
Mark Hahn stated there are many features valuable to the County in terms of long-term operational cost as well as to the environment. One of the primary features of green design is energy savings, and how the mechanical system and lighting go together to save energy; also lower water usage on site and using recyclable materials.
Q. The current number of beds is 600 so this is almost doubling the facility you currently have. Is the plan to build a new facility an extension of the current facility?
A. The original design of the current facility is under two phases; the Jail Central part is a section sketched out already to fit into what is already there. Most of the inmates housed there are through Pre-Trial and has to be held in Jail-Central because we are out of expansion room. It will be designed and connected to the current facility to fit in with the original design.
Q. What percent of the population is Pre-Trial?
A. 85% of the expansion space would be used for Pre-Trial. This is where growth has been in the last few years.
Q. Because you are building a new facility, is there more infrastructure you have to build as opposed to expanding the new facility?
A. The original jail was built in 1994 and was designed for 600 additional inmates but may not be sufficient. The new facility may need to go up to six levels instead of four levels (all of this has been talked about but has not been confirmed).
Q. Are you projecting anything for operating costs?
There may be a need for another 150 employees.
The Sheriff stated that the federal government pays Mecklenburg County $24 million to house 600 federal inmates and that 85% of those inmates are from Mecklenburg County. Another issues is the immigration enforcement (those who are here illegally) and have committed a federal crime and the government pays their room and board.
Jail Central Intake
A presentation was given on the Jail Central Intake. The total projected cost for Jail Central Intake is $1,755,000.
Renovation of this facility will increase the efficiency of the Arrest Processing area of Jail Central and allow police officers to expedite the intake of new arrestees, court detainees, transports, writs, and other prisoners at the receiving area. Currently there is limited space for staff and detainees. To increase the functionability of the process, the Control Room will be relocated from its current location, the existing reception counter/work area will be renovated o allow for multiple arrestee processing, the size of the vestibule where officers wait with arrestees will be increased, additional holding cells will be provided, and a documentation area will be created for officers. This renovation should also update the facility pertaining to the increase in arrests generated by the growing population in Mecklenburg County.
Sheriff’s Office Expansion
The Sheriff stated that in order to make arrest processing more efficient current space needs to be expanded. In January 2007 the new Criminal Courts Building will open. The former courtrooms will be renovated for office space. County staff located in the Courts and County Office Building will be relocated and the Register of Deeds will be expanded.
The Sheriff’s Office expansion will cost $4,008,000.
Real Estate Services Presentation
Mark Hahn and Gustavo Mibelli discussed the capital requests projects listed below:
· The relocation of Community Corrections to the vacated Civil Courts Building will provide expansion space for the District Attorney Office. Community Service Work, (which is part of this department) and is now located in the County and Courts Office Building will be relocated to the Civil Court Building.
· The Law Library which is located at the Historic Courthouse and occupies a significant area of the main level will be renovated to allow expansion space for the District Attorney’s office.
· The Public Defender offices are currently located at the County and Courts Office Building and will be relocated to the Criminal Courts Building. This relocation will provide expansion space to meet their space needs to the year 2020, and would also vacate space to provide growth for Register of Deeds and Youth and Family Services.
· The District Attorney’s Office is current located at the Historic Courthouse. The relocation of Community Corrections from the basement and first floor of the Historic Courthouse to the other vacated court buildings will provide expansion space for the DA’s Office.
· The Medical Examiner’s request will provide for equipment and space expansion. The Medical Examiner has taken on more cases in the last couple of years.
· County Files and Equipment Storage Facility – The main purpose of this facility is to house surplus equipment that gets auctioned off. Also, space is available for historical documents that we are required to keep. Recently the County Manager changed the way we are operating our equipment surplus process. We are now outsourcing. This project will provide for the relocation of the existing storage facility from Torrence Lytle to a new storage facility. The Torrence Lytle facility located in Huntersville is in disrepair. The County Manager would like for the Town of Huntersville to take over that facility.
· IST Consolidation - The IST Department is currently in two locations. This project will provide for the relocation of IST at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center (CMGC) and other County facilities to Freedom Mall. This move will result in expansion space for County agencies remaining at CMGC and other County facilities.
· Southeast Health Clinic – this new 61,000 square feet facility will provide health services for the community and space for DSS expansion at the Billingsley campus.
· Freedom Mall DSS Senior Enrichment – This project will create a new Senior Enrichment Center and will be built in the vicinity of Freedom Mall. This request includes funding for land acquisition and design work only.
· Courts Complex – This project will provide expansion space for the Juvenile Justice, Victim Assistance, and Guardian Ad Litem at the Criminal Court Building. The relocation of the Criminal Courts to the new Mecklenburg County/Courthouse will provide expansion space for them to meet their space needs to the year 2020.
· YFS Register of Deeds at CCOB – The relocation of Juvenile Justice, Public Defender, Victim Assistance, and Guardian Ad Litem and some Clerk of Court functions to other vacated office buildings will provide expansion space for Youth and Family Services and the Register of Deeds.
· Hal Marshall – Freedom Mall – This project will provide for the relocation of Land Use and Environmental Services (LUESA).
· Freedom Mall – Office of Tax Collector – Renovation and relocation would not occur until the Walton Plaza is sold.
The total cost for the Facilities Master Plan is $43 million.
The meeting was adjourned by Michael Murdock. The next meeting will be held on May 10, 2006 in the 11th Floor Large Conference Room at 8:00 a.m.