The Johnson County Commissioners Court took action on the expansion of the Johnson County Law Enforcement Center on Monday during its meeting at the Johnson County Courthouse.
Because the original agreement in February with LaSalle Southwest Corrections for the 96-bed addition was for construction costs not to exceed $1.25 million, officials from the Dripping Springs-based company contracted to manage the county’s jail facility sought additional approval from the court for additional costs that would make the addition upgradable to a medium-security facility .
LaSalle’s officials told the court that building a medium-security upgradable facility on county jail property to hold overnight and weekend inmates would free beds in the higher security portion of the jail for inmates under custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, would cost about $1.6 million.
LaSalle officials made the original proposal to commissioners after they, along with the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, were approached by ICE officials to house an additional 100 inmates at the county jail under an existing intergovernmental agreement.
LaSalle officials told commissioners in February that housing the additional inmates would increase revenue and savings of more than $600,000 annually from a combination of income received from ICE, decreased per diem due to housing more inmates and increased phone revenue.
As part of the original agreement, LaSalle officials agreed to finance the cost for construction up front, not to exceed $1.25 million, and allow the county to reimburse LaSalle over the life of its newly-extended contract, which expires Aug. 30, 2015.
Funds for reimbursement to LaSalle would only come from revenue earned from housing ICE inmates and from phone revenue from those additional ICE and out-of-county inmates, LaSalle officials said.
Under the agreement, the county would receive the property free and clear and would no longer be liable for any reimbursements to LaSalle after the 2015 contact expires, even if full construction costs are not recovered.
The court also conducted a public hearing and approved the installation of a sign banning trucks on a county road near Lillian.
Johnson County Commissioner Jerry Stringer said he received a petition from residents on George Renfro Drive between Farm-to-Market Road 2738 and Becky Drive asking that trucks divert elsewhere.
The road was formerly FM 917 many years ago, Stringer said, but when the highway was diverted around Lillian, state officials gave that section of road back to the county.
Truck traffic has been heavy on that half-mile section of road, Stringer said.
In other business, commissioners:
• Awarded a bid to Holmes Murphy for health insurance consultation services.
• Declared two 2003 Ford Crown Victoria vehicles from the sheriff’s office as surplus for auction.
• Declared a restraint chair from the sheriff’s office as salvage.
• Approved a system purchase agreement with Motorola Solutions Inc. and the Houston-Galveston Area Council for a P25 communications system at a cost of $3.65 million.
• Approved an engagement letter for outside auditors with Kennemer, Masters and Lunsford.
• Approved budget amendments regarding insurance claims for the sheriff’s office; building repair and maintenance for the Bank Annex, Guinn building, Burleson Sub-Courthouse, health building, Hamm Creek Park and Precinct 1 justice of the peace; and technology fund fees and services for Precinct 3 justice of the peace.
• Approved a request for unclaimed money from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
• Approved a facility maintenance management program with Facility Dude for a maintenance work order system.
• Approved official bonds and oaths for Steve Williams and Ronny Eller, Precinct 1 deputy constables.
• Approved continuation certificate bonds for Paul Gaumond, Precinct 2 deputy constable, and Linda Rowe, county mail clerk.
• Tabled consideration of a memorandum of agreement with the Texas Department of Public Safety for a grant for records management/jail management and computer aided dispatch software solution.
The court’s next meeting is July 11.
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