The Greene County Sheriff is currently working with an engineering firm to lower the price of the new county jail before construction can begin.

Greene County Sheriff Jack Williams tells Raccoon Valley Radio the original bids for the project came in $2 million more than what was passed by county voters last November of up to $10 million to build a new county jail. 

“I was a little nervous when they (ISG Architects) told me we were $2 million over budget. But cutting out some of the stuff we are down to within $200.000 of the $10 million 

Williams says since then, he has worked with ISG Architects and the construction manager at-risk, DCI Construction, to reduce the amount of concrete for the parking lots and sidewalks, along with changing the form of HVAC to a traditional method instead of geothermal, as well as reducing the size of some offices and the kitchen, and cutting the Sally Port in half, which is used as a patrol vehicle pull-thru to drop-off of inmates and suspects. 

Williams points out that the number of cell beds remains the same at 20, and he believes that when the project is put back out for bids, the total amount will be under $10 million.

“The $200,000 right now, we’re actually hoping, when we send out official bids for contractors, it’ll actually come down even more because that’s on the high side of things. If we were looking at “worst case scenario” what would this cost? Not the “best case scenario.” And just know where interest rates are today and construction companies are hungry for work, they’re dropping their prices to get work. So I’m hoping that will be, that $200,000 will drop just with all the different construction companies looking for work, wanting to take it.”  

Williams adds once the finalized design plans are approved by the Iowa Department of Corrections and the State Fire Marshall’s Office, they can send the project out for bids with an estimated start of construction by early next spring.