Guest Editorial: Allamakee County Public Safety Committee shares its findings

This is the first in a three-part series.

The Allamakee County Public Safety Committee has been meeting for approximately six months to discuss the public safety needs of Allamakee County, which include the Sheriff’s Department, 911 Department and  Emergency Management Department, as well as the equipment and office space necessary to run those departments. The committee includes approximately 25 volunteer members from all around the county - New Albin, Lansing, Waukon, Postville, Waterville, Harpers Ferry and the rural areas.
Safety has been the main concern for all members of the committee and it became apparent within the first couple meetings that the current situation is below federal and State of Iowa Code requirements for operating a county jail facility, as well as a safety hazard to current personnel employed in the County Courthouse. The committee reviewed numerous documents regarding past and current jail inspections, financial statements and projected financial needs for public safety for the next 15 years.
A tour of the Allamakee County Jail and other county jail facilities reinforced the obvious - that the existing situation is too unsafe for all parties involved.
Once the committee determined that something had to be done, either a remodel of the current jail facility or new construction to meet State Code, the next step was to look at all the options. Safety, space, and cost were the three most important components of the discussion. A consultant, John Hansen of Midwest Construction Consultants, was hired to work with the committee. John brings vast experience of small jail facility construction and reconstruction.
It soon became evident that the current Sheriff’s Office and jail could not be remodeled to meet State Code requirements. The committee discussed several options: adding another floor to the courthouse, building at a site in the city of Waukon, and building at the County Farm (Makee Manor).
Structurally, adding a floor to the courthouse is not feasible and will not offer safety from violent storms. Nor would it alleviate the concern for the public’s safety when prisoners are being brought into the courthouse and being taken to and from court proceedings.
Several sites were evaluated within the city of Waukon, but a major concern is the increase in costs to the project for the taxpayers. If land were to be acquired, there may be a need to tear down or remodel current structures on that land, and estimated cost increases were between $500,000 to $1,000,000 and the committee does not want to put those costs onto the tax payers.
The committee unanimously decided to recommend that the new facility be built at the County Farm, on land already owned by the county. The land at the County Farm is fairly level, there is a lagoon system for waste and a water tower; all of which have been evaluated for viability and were determined to be adequate for a new jail and public safety center.
After interviewing three potential architects for the project, the committee recommended the hiring of Rick Weidner, AIA, who has many years of experience building facilities just like the facility Allamakee County needs to have built, and within tight budgetary constraints.
A bond referendum has been set for the November elections to vote for or against this project. According to the language that will appear on the ballot, the maximum amount to be borrow to fund this project will not exceed $4.9 million as taxpayer responsibility. This amount will allow the county to meet federal and state requirements for a jail facility and offer office space for other County emergency service departments.
The committee has concluded that this $4.9 million project is the most fiscally responsible option for the County in light of the inevitable closure of the current jail facility.
In the next two parts of this three-part series, the committee will present its findings about the need for this new facility, the cost to taxpayers and the cost of the alternative (having no jail facility in the County).

Members of the Allamakee County Public Safety Committee: Kris Ward, Clark Mellick, Kris Kovarik,Rev Lonning, Natasha Wilkes, Ardie Kuhse, Mike Kruckenberg, Tim Bulman, Chris Fee, Laura Olson, Carol Jeglum, Dan Cole Sr., Glen Jevne