Condemnation proceedings filed for jail land
|
Condemnation proceedings have been officially filed by County Attorney Larry Stanley on five acres of the property that is to be used for the expansion. The land is owned by Doug Smith and two of his sisters, Elaine Simmons of Oak Ridge, and Kaye Clement of McMinnville.
“He filed the condemnation Friday,” Jail Oversight Committee Chairman Bobby Cox reported at the committee meeting Monday night.
According to Cox, there has been no reaction from Smith or his sisters.
“I haven’t heard anything,” he said.
Commissioner Edwin Grissom noted that, according to Stanley, papers had to be served to the sister who lives in Oak Ridge and that the county could begin work 10 days after the service date, and that Stanley would let the committee know when that had occurred.
“As soon as we find out from Larry then we can get started clearing the land,” said Cox.
The committee reported the contract to clear the land has already been awarded to Dirt Works, LLC., a local company operated by Mark Hale, who turned in the low bid of $5,300.
Architect Jim Armstrong said the expansion was being designed to hold 226 males, and 76 females, but in a pinch could be modified to hold significantly more with just the addition of furniture. Up to 250 males and 94 females, could be housed if necessary.
Armstrong presented a set of preliminary plans to the committee for its approval. One of the items discussed was state accreditation requirements pertaining to security levels.
“What the state wants, according to [State Jail Inspector] Peggy Sawyer, is a third, and a third, and a third. A third maximum, a third medium, and a third minimum,” Armstrong said.
The expansion will be state-of-the-art with visitation in the higher security areas being by closed-circuit TV.
“We’re going to accomplish visitation, with the exception of lawyer-client relations, with TV monitors,” Armstrong said. He noted the minimum-security area, housing non-violent inmates, would have a common room.
The design provides for video monitoring of the entire facility, including prisoner cells, with the exception of a few areas, such as showers, due to privacy issues.
Armstrong told the committee it needs to have a list of approved contractors put together by the end of July, and indicated he should have working plans prepared, accredited by state officials, and ready for bids by mid-August.
The committee then approved the preliminary plans unanimously.