HomeMy WebLinkAboutSpecial Committee of the Whole November 12 20131
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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
Special Committee of the Whole
November 12, 2013
CALL TO ORDER
Council Chair Kathy Kershner called the meeting to order at 1:55 in the Council
Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
ROLL CALL
(1:54:48 PM)
Present: Barbara Brenner, Sam Crawford, Kathy Kershner, Bill Knutzen, Ken
Mann, Carl Weimer and Pete Kremen.
Absent: None.
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
1. CONSULTANT DLR GROUP TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON JAIL PLANNING
(AB2013 -042B)
Jack Louws, County Executive, thanked everyone for the work done to get the final
environmental impact statement (EIS).
Bill Valdez, DLR Group, stated this is a recap of the needs assessment and EIS. He
submitted and read from the presentation (on file).
Brenner asked the final cost of the Score facility. Valdez stated construction cost
was $62 million, with a total project budget of $90 million. They had a bond to pay off debt
service. It had just over 800 beds. Most of those beds are quads and doubles. Few are
single beds. It's a misdemeanor facility and doesn't need as many single beds as a county
jail. Square footage needs increase with single beds.
Brenner stated she thought Whatcom County would do quad and double units.
Valdez stated they would, but there are more single units and no dormitories.
Kremen asked if the County jail is more of a maximum security jail. Valdez stated
it's more about the mix of beds. The Score facility only has 11 single units.
Brenner asked why they decided to do a different mix from the Score facility. Louws
stated the County handles felon and misdemeanor cases. The Score facility doesn't handle
felony cases. It causes the square footage to go up.
Lori Coppenrath, DLR Group, stated the design follows national standards.
(2:07:12 PM)
Special Committee of the Whole, 11/12/2013, Page 1
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Crawford asked if the worse the crime, the more possibility to be housed in a single
cell. Valdez stated it allows the Sheriff to have better opportunities for managing and
controlling the jail population.
Crawford stated the Irongate facility uses a dormitory style. He asked about the
possibility of including dormitories. Valdez stated dormitories are very staff intensive. If
there is an altercation in a dormitory, there's no way to secure the rest of the inmates in the
dormitory.
Crawford stated the Irongate minimum facility is run more efficiently than the
County jail. Valdez stated the County jail is a vertical facility, which is more staff intensive.
The Score facility is considering converting its dormitories to quad units.
Crawford stated he would like to explore the option of dormitories. They've had a
good experience with the Irongate facility. Now it seems like they're going a different
direction. They must reconcile an ideal facility with a facility they can really afford. They
can assign the different offenders to differently designed facilities.
Mann stated an alternative is to keep the Irongate facility running.
Crawford stated this new jail population would then drop by 150 beds. Valdez stated
running two jails is less efficient.
Kershner stated the Council has some concern that the existing dormitory unit has
been successful in this county, so they want to include that option here, rather than a more
expensive facility with smaller units.
Bill Elfo, County Sheriff, stated the Irongate facility is a drywall facility. There's been
an escape from the facility. When the population changes in the jail, and there are more
severe or violent offenders, there isn't an option to put them in that minimum security
facility. It would be most efficient to consolidate staff into one building. Over 30 years, 80
percent of the cost of operating a jail is related to operations and personnel. They are
trying to make wise decisions for the future. The Score facility administrators regret
building those dormitories.
Reed Shockey, Shockey Planning Group President, continued the presentation on the
substitute EIS.
Brenner asked if the site design would allow a 350 -foot sight buffer if necessary.
Valdez stated it would. The jail building is located outside all the original setbacks.
Shockey continued the presentation beginning with the design aesthetics.
Brenner asked about how traffic will be kept away from the intersection at Smith
Road and LaBounty Road. Shockey stated the traffic study found that the number of trips
generated from this facility, going either north or south, is not a significant increase. Some
traffic will go North along LaBounty Road toward Smith Road, but not a significant amount.
Brenner asked how the trip distribution study was conducted. She was told the
traffic is actually higher than stated. Shockey stated that isn't the information he received.
If the public is now concerned about traffic volumes, he can get an answer to that question.
Special Committee of the Whole, 11/12/2013, Page 2
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He continued with the presentation on transportation improvements in the area. No
major extraordinary traffic mitigation is required due to this facility. The intersections at the
freeway interchange are getting the most attention. He concluded the presentation with
public services and utilities. The City and County agree on the utility realignment.
Brenner stated don't install an onsite septic system. Shockey stated there would not
be an onsite septic system.
Brenner asked if there will be no ability to see the jail from off -site. Shockey stated
there will be no ability to see the inmates or bars on windows. The buildings are a
significant size. It will look like a commercial or industrial facility similar to the buildings
out there now. It won't look like a jail.
Mann asked for the traffic study. Shockey stated it's in the draft EIS issued in
September. The updated version is on the County website.
Brenner asked how the traffic study was done. Shockey stated the transportation
consultant was responsible for the traffic study. Traffic counters were put in strategic
locations to get traffic counts.
Crawford stated the facility shown will be the biggest iteration of what this facility
could be. All of these site considerations could be phased in more slowly, and something
could be constructed on a smaller scale. He asked if going smaller would not affect the
layout of the facility. Shockey stated that is correct. In this case, the maximum estimate
was 660 beds, and they knew they were planning for something in the range of 520 beds.
Crawford stated they could change certain things such as where and how the
Sheriff's Office is located. Public feedback on the $110 million price tag seems to be
unanimous about the cost being too much. He wants to move forward with the purchase of
the property, and explore what they can develop for $60 million, for example. If they spend
$100 million or more, there should be a good reason. Consider development at a lower
level. Shockey stated the County won't have to recycle the SEPA standpoint if they
developed a smaller facility.
Brenner stated the single units were quite a bit higher than ten percent, which is
recommended at the federal level. Coppenrath stated that number of units includes four
wedges for single cells.
Brenner stated it would create savings to have 51 single units, not 77.
Louws stated decisions on the size of the facility won't be resolved today. The
County and community will have to find a balance between what the County can afford and
what the County needs. Today, consider if the property is suitable. The biggest challenge is
timing between the City of Ferndale regarding sewer treatment and water capacity. The
City is already dealing with water capacity issues. He recommends that the County
purchase the property. They will have more than two years to work on this before
occupancy. This step is to determine the location. This property will work for many years
into the future.
Shockey stated Appendix A of the EIS includes the traffic counts, which are true
counts taken at all intersections over a month.
Special Committee of the Whole, 11/12/2013, Page 3
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OTHER BUSINESS
There was no other business.
ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 2:47 p.m.
The Council approved these minutes on January 14, 2014.
ATTEST:
, Council Clerk
-, Minutes Transcription
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Kathy Kershner, Council Chair
Special Committee of the Whole, 11/12/2013, Page 4