Countywide : State Aid Sought to Pay for Jail Cost Overrun
The Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to ask the state to pay most of a $1.2-million cost overrun in renovation work being done at the central men’s jail.
County officials said the project, which they initially believed would cost about $2.6 million, will actually cost $3.8 million. The renovations are required in the main jail to accommodate the $66-million Intake/Release Center that is nearing completion.
Burdette Pulver, project manager for the county General Services Agency, said the cost of the renovation work was underestimated. He also said the cost was driven up because most jail construction contractors were too busy with other work.
The state had previously approved spending about $50 million toward building the new addition to the County Jail. But so far the county has spent only about $49 million of the state money.
Tuesday, the supervisors voted to ask that the remaining state money be spent on the cost overrun.
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