The County Commission on Wednesday balked at approving a local builder for a $20 million expansion project at the Silverdale Jail.
It did so after Commissioner Tim Boyd, a veteran in the construction business, said the previous largest job by KTM Builders was a $3.3 million project. He said the firm grew out of the former Keebler Construction and had mostly worked at putting up 19 Hobby Lobby units.
Voting no on approving the low bid of $20,069,078 were Chester Bankston, Katherlyn Geter, Warren Mackey, David Sharpe, Sabrena Smedley and Commissioner Boyd.
In favor were Randy Fairbanks, Chip Baker and Greg Martin.
Commissioner Boyd said, "Hiring them would be like hiring somebody who regularly builds garages on houses to build your whole house. It doesn't make any sense."
He added, "Knowing the limited experience this company has had and the fact they have been 100 percent retail, I could not in good conscience vote to approve this contract for a government building."
Commissioner Smedley had asked for assurances "that this is not going to come back to bite us."
At the close of the session, Mark Keebler, owner of KMT, called in to the Zoom meeting and said his firm was fully qualified to do the work after lining up a number of very capable subcontractors. He said, "We have met with all the major subcontractors and we have a thorough understanding of the project."
He and county officials said the firm had fully bonded the project. Todd Leamon, who heads county public works, said he was confident that the firm could handle the project and said it had been fully vetted.
Ed Jolley, a construction industry veteran, also called in. He said he had worked as the project manager and estimator on the work. He noted that in the past his firm at the time (EMJ) had completed the Hunter Museum expansion though it had never done a museum project before and it built the natatorium at Baylor School though it had not built a pool before.
He said KTM has the experience and the technical ability to build the jail project, and he said he hopes the firm will be given the opportunity to make its case.
Mr. Keebler said he was disappointed that he was not questioned about his firm during the meeting before the vote.
Officials said the next lowest bid was almost $700,000 higher. Path Construction bid $20,735,000. J&J Contractors was at $21.139,750. TriCon bid $21,143,600. Patriot Construction was at $21,927,159.
County officials said they would "regroup" before deciding what step to take next. County Attorney Rheubin Taylor advised that commissioners refrain from commenting further.
The private firm CoreCivic is pulling out of the Silverdale jail effective on the last day of the year, and the Sheriff's Office is taking over while making plans to shut down the downtown jail on Walnut Street.
The project includes new processing and release areas and a new public lobby as well as space to house 128 inmates.
The construction also includes two new covered recreation areas for inmates.
It is hoped to have the project ready by the end of 2022.
Sheriff Jim Hammond said there are also plans for a further "modular-style, cutting edge" expansion at the Silverdale jail. It would be funded by $10 million from an upcoming $80 million county bond issue. It would include a new dorm-style approach with storm-proof steel construction. Natural lighting would take the place of windows.
It would house 320 inmates as well as 16 more in a maximum security section. There would be pods with 32 inmates each.
Officials said TVs and tablets would be provided and steps would be taken to try to keep the inmates as active as possible and provide them with opportunities to better themselves.
The life span on that dorm-style addition "would be essentially endless," it was stated.
Officials said during the height of the coronavirus that the combined population of the two jails got down to the 800s, but now is above 1,100. Sheriff Hammond said he expects that it will still stay below the previous over-crowded levels due to a new focus of issuing citations, a FUSE program designed to keep those with mental issues out of the jail, and other alternative programs.
Coty Wamp, an attorney for Sheriff Hammond, noted that federal judges in recent months had stopped sending inmates to Silverdale. Most have been going to Bradley County.
Federal authorities had been paying $100 per day for housing federal inmates. She said discussions are underway to try to again hold federal inmates and get full payment.
Sheriff Hammond said it is planned to exit the downtown jail as soon as practical. He said he has been advised that the building is so defective that it could not be converted for another use.
The sheriff said efforts are underway to try to sign up current CoreCivic employees to work for the Sheriff's Office. He said the county has higher pay and better benefits. He said some of the workers would be going to other CoreCivic facilities.
He said, "We are asking them to please fill out applications." He said the county has gotten about 80 applications from current CoreCivic employees.
Sheriff Hammond said current county correctional employees would have priority in bidding for higher-level posts, such as corporal.