PLATTE COUNTY PROPOSING 464-BED JAIL IN DOWNTOWN PLATTE CITY
The Platte County Commission has started the search for an architecture or engineering firm to develop plans and the cost of a major expansion to the Platte County Detention Center.
The county commission voted to release a request for qualifications on Monday, Dec. 18.
A public safety committee has recommended to the county commission the proposal of an additional 312 new beds for the Platte County Jail. Adding 312 new beds to the already existing 152 beds would mean a county jail consisting of 464 beds in Downtown Platte City.
The committee recommends that the Platte County Commission seek voter approval to build a “stacked” addition to the current jail on the northwest corner of the current county complex in Downtown Platte City. The area where the jail addition is recommended currently serves as a small parking lot for some county officials and county vehicles.
The recommended jail addition would cost an estimated $69.6 million, the public safety committee says, based off estimates provided by an architectural firm.
“The next step for the county government is to hire an architect or engineer to develop a more detailed plan and a more definite cost estimate,” said Joe Vanover, second district county commissioner.
An architecture firm with detention center design experience did limited work this fall for the Committee for Public Safety and provided a rough cost estimate.
Vanover said the county commission’s vote starts the process to hire a firm to conduct more detailed planning. He said Missouri law requires governmental bodies to review the qualifications of architects and engineers and to rank the best candidates before negotiating the cost of their services. The county commission and sheriff’s department plan to evaluate applicants in January and select the firm to prepare the full plans for the detention center expansion and for modernization of the existing detention center.
Vanover said that on Dec. 4, the county commission, Sheriff Mark Owen, and Prosecutor Eric Zahnd met with the architect that helped the Committee for Public Safety.
Vanover commented, “We re-argued many of the same points that the citizens committee discussed this fall, such as the size of the expansion and the location. The citizens committee’s work has helped us focus on what is needed and what we think the public will support.”
The Committee for Public Safety recommended the county build an expansion that will meet the needs for 25 years, Vanover said.
Vanover said he updated the county commission, the sheriff and the prosecutor regarding his meeting with two Kansas City council members on Dec. 13 about a possible joint venture on a jail.
“Kansas City does not currently have a jail, and it rents jail space in Warrensburg and Nevada, Missouri. When the Platte County Jail has gotten too full in recent months, it has driven overflow inmates to Buchanan County.
“A special committee of the Kansas City City Council is studying where to build a new city jail and its size,” Vanover said.
Vanover added: “If we proceed with our jail expansion in Platte City, a shared site with Kansas City near the airport is unlikely. It is probably best for everyone if Kansas City’s new jail is in Jackson County, not near KCI.”
The county commission hired a financial advisor, McLiney and Company, during its administrative session on Dec. 4. The financial advisor is working to assemble the team to issue bonds if approved by the voters, Vanover said.
The county commissioner added that architecture and engineering firms interested in developing the detailed plans for a detention center expansion are directed to contact the new county administrator, Wes Minder.