The estimated cost of the new Kootenai County Jail is $146 million, according to an article in today’s CDA Press. That’s more than one thousand dollars per county resident.
Hell, the CdA Resort is valued at only $80,000,000. What kind of palaces are we allowing government officials to build? How much money does a cinder block cost? Are these people serious?
I think the math is off a little;
County Population: 127668
Cost Of Jail Complex: 146,000,000
146,000,000/127668=1143.59
Comment by patrickh — July 1, 2008 @ 10:26 am
Yeah, math was never my strong suit. I have changed the main post to reflect your more correct figures. Thanks!
Comment by Dan — July 1, 2008 @ 10:33 am
Make that more than $1000 per county resident.
Still . . . . that is $295,000 per bed. Let’s just have the taxpayers buy each criminal a nice 3 Br 2 Ba house.
The last rejected proposal was $180,000 per bed. AND, we already own the land.
Remember the $818,000 architectural drawings for Lakes Middle school?
Here we go again . . . .
Comment by Granny — July 1, 2008 @ 10:46 am
How do we go from 50 Mill.3 years ago,to 146 million now for the proposed jail expansion?They must have added their nice plush office space in the latest proposal.
IMO-It’s a bluff game.They ask the taxpayers to approve their pie-in-the-sky proposal thinking; the first time it is voted on,it will be rejected.Then our elected officials will pair down the amount of the proposal,hoping it will pass with voter approval they next time on the ballot.
Comment by kageman — July 1, 2008 @ 11:04 am
The County Commissioners need to put the KMB proposal up on the county’s website so the public can study it.
Comment by Bill — July 1, 2008 @ 11:45 am
When a company is hired to do the kind of proposal like this jail expansion, are they ever told, “Keep it under $XXX”? It doesn’t seem like it. Instead it seems like we get this pie-in-the-sky, “dream big,” over-designed, top-flight architect, expensive building materials and methods, monstrosities. Seriously: What could someone who watches their pennies build with $146 million?
I’m also fond of saying that the government easily spends $146M to build a $30M structure. That extra money is dearly spread around. We’ll probably see just who is promised some of it when this project’s unabashed apologizers start worming their way into the blogs and editorial pages.
Comment by Dan — July 1, 2008 @ 11:58 am
Will there be an public hearing where we can all ask un-edited public questions and get straight answers?
Yes, Bill, we need all the studies, plans and costs available to us before such a public hearing.
Comment by mary — July 1, 2008 @ 12:36 pm
If we own the land, then to add some tents to it should not be that expensive. I think some of the local outdoor/camping stores would even give a discount for purchasing in quantity. Just a thought. 🙂
Comment by concerned citizen — July 1, 2008 @ 5:11 pm
Our soldiers in Iraq live in tents? And don’t have the creature comforts of home.
Why do felons and those that are awaiting hearings or sentencing live in “luxury” in the Lake City? Where is the deterrent to not doing the crime in the first place?
146M get real – know of a new place being built in the Cougar Gulch area with a lakefront access that might be able to house some of Lake City’s “guests”.
The new motto of this building campaign should be — “Build it and they will come”
Comment by ShyAnn — July 1, 2008 @ 5:16 pm
Sorry, I have to add more. Barbed wire is only $40 a roll at D&B farm supply along with a 50,000 volt electric kit. I believe that could save tax payers tens of millions of dollars.
Comment by concerned citizen — July 1, 2008 @ 5:20 pm
I wonder how much the taxpayers of PostFalls had to pony up,to build their Taj Mahal/City Hall?Templin tried to save the old city hall,but
the Clay Larkin gang would have none of it and built the new prodigious
PostFalls City Hall,in a relatively short period of time.
Comment by kageman — July 1, 2008 @ 7:30 pm
What would the cost savings be if the county invested substantial funding into restorative justice programs? Is there now a need for a large work release facility?
Comment by Susie Snedaker — July 2, 2008 @ 7:36 am