A Smaller Juvenile Center Urged

In response to spiraling construction costs, county officials are recommending the Board of Supervisors scale back the size of a proposed juvenile justice center by 10%.

Anticipated building costs have jumped by about 20% since the facility was initially planned. Consequently, the county must alter plans to stay within the project’s $65-million budget, officials said. They plan to present a report to the county Board of Supervisors at the panel’s Tuesday meeting.

“You never know exactly what it is going to cost until you get the bids in,” said Terry Dryer, chief deputy administrative officer. “But we just have to come in at budget.”

The juvenile center is being built to replace Ventura County’s antiquated and overcrowded Juvenile Hall. The center, to be situated on a 45-acre parcel in El Rio, will have 420 beds--240 at the detention facility and 180 at two adjacent camps. The county has authorized about $24.4 million, and the state Board of Corrections has pledged $40.5 million.

Officials from the chief administrative office, General Services Agency and the Probation Agency reviewed the project’s budget in July, and determined the county should reduce the size of the complex by about 24,000 square feet, or 10%.

Their suggestions include:

* Postponing construction of an 8,000-square-foot multipurpose room to be used for assemblies, exercise and vocational programs until additional funds are found. The room itself is estimated to cost $1.27 million.

* Building fewer private offices.

* Changing some of the designs, such as for the roof and kitchen.

The county is also exploring other ways to reduce construction costs, such as applying to have the state cover expenses for the kitchen and dining room. That could save the county about $500,000, which could be redirected to pay for the multipurpose center.

Supervisor Kathy Long said she would be disappointed if the multipurpose room were postponed, but said it would probably be necessary.

“We have to keep this under budget, and we have to make tough decisions to do that,” Long said. “I don’t think it will restrict our ability to do the programming.”

Long added that the juvenile justice center is still a top priority for the board, and that it will fill a critical need.

County probation officials will also ask supervisors Tuesday to approve a staffing plan. To open the facility in September 2003, officials say the county needs to hire a transition team by January 2002 to recruit, hire and train new staff members.

That team would include two supervising deputy probation officers, two senior deputy probation officers, one corrections services officer and one management assistant.

The number of people who would work at the juvenile justice center is expected to gradually increase, officials said. In 2003, probation officials estimate, they will need 234 staff members. And officials estimate a total staffing of about 308 six years later.

Eventually, the juvenile justice center would bring into one central complex all branches of the scattered justice system that deal with juveniles. That complex would also contain six juvenile courtrooms, along with all court-related agencies, including staff members of the district attorney’s office, public defender’s office and Probation Department.

The county is looking for additional funding for the courtrooms and offices, and plans to update the board in October. Officials also will continue searching for grants to fund the multipurpose room.

“We still have several months to continue to find a way, and we are going to be working very hard to figure out a way to fund it,” Dryer said.

Probation officials say the juvenile justice project is on schedule, and should be completed by September 2003. The county closed escrow on a strawberry farm in El Rio on Aug. 1, and will take control of the land in March.

The design process began in March and is expected to be completed this month. Construction is scheduled to begin next June.