Bartholomew County is preparing to embark on one of the most expensive and technologically complex parts of the upcoming county jail renovation.
Bids are to be opened July 23 to replace an aging surveillance system that has deteriorated into a “hodgepodge of repairs,” county information technology director Scott Mayes told the Bartholomew County commissioners on Monday.
Although the cost was initially estimated at about $800,000 to replace the over 10-year-old system, revised figures indicate the cost could increase to as high as $1.2 million, said county commissioner Carl Lienhoop.
Besides new cameras, the county must also install new intercoms and door controls that will be tightly integrated into one large and complex security system, Mayes said.
“If you pull one piece out of the system, they all come out with it,” Mayes told the commissioners.
New control centers will also be installed capable of remotely operating the different security elements, the county IT director said.
In addition to the currently operational jail with a 232-inmate capacity, new equipment must also be installed in an older and currently unused section of jail, as well as the work release area on the building’s south side, Mayes said.
“Think about this — we are talking about installing all this new equipment on a facility that takes up almost an entire square block,” Lienhoop said.
Due to the size of the project and its complexity, the installation will take six to eight months to complete, jail commander Maj. John Martoccia told the commissioners.
Companies who bid on installing the system will also be required to tour the facility to ensure they understand the scope of what they are bidding on, Martoccia said.
Once the new system is installed and tested, additional time will be required for staff training, Mayes said.
Sections of the currently closed area of the jail, which is capable of holding up to 100 inmates, need to be reopened because overcrowding has grown from an occasional problem into a nearly daily occurrence, Martoccia said in December.
The older section has remained closed due to a lack of manpower, as well as not having a security system, Bartholomew County Sheriff Matt Myers said.
The county is also planning to spend $4 million to replace the jail’s heating and air conditioning systems in 2019. Another $600,000 will have to be spent two years later to address deterioration under the domed outdoor recreation area on the jail’s roof.
Although the commissioners are moving ahead by seeking bids on the security system, commissioners chairman Larry Kleinhenz said county officials are still trying to determine the best way to pay for it.
A recent state law change provides the county an option to set aside anywhere from 0.01 to 0.2 percent of existing local income tax revenue for jail reconstruction before funds are dispersed to all taxing units.
However, that option is still being examined by the county council, which has until the end of October to make a decision in order for the option to go into effect next year.
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Designed by architect Don M. Hisaka, the Bartholomew County Jail at 543 Second St. included five cell blocks containing a total of 60 cells when it was built in 1990. Originally intended to have a 95-inmate capacity, changes were soon made that increased the number of beds to 120.
In October 2006, groundbreaking was held for an $18.5 million expansion and renovation that would accommodate up to 250 more inmates.
An addition was added with space to house work release inmates, community corrections and staff, with the top floors dedicated to regular inmates.
After all renovation and expansion work was completed in 2011, jail officials decided to no longer use the older 120-bed portion of the jail due to insufficient staffing.
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