The Platte County Commission started the search for an architecture or engineering firm to develop plans and the cost of a major expansion to the Platte County Detention Center.
The county commission voted to release a request for qualifications on Monday, Dec. 18 and after released a press release about its activities due to a technical glitch cutting off all audio in the live stream of the commission meeting.
“One of the worst things that can happen for public safety is for a county to run out of jail space for violent criminals and people who refuse to appear for court unless they’re behind bars,” Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd said. “This project will help ensure Platte County does not wander down that dangerous path.”
Commissioner Joe Vanover added, “The current jail is full. The Committee for Public Safety recommended we build a 320-bed expansion next to the current jail in Platte City. The next step for the county government is to hire an architect or engineer to develop a more detailed plan and a more definite cost estimate.”
An architecture firm with detention center design experience did limited work this fall for the Committee for Public Safety and provided a rough cost estimate. The county commission’s vote starts the process to hire a firm to conduct more detailed planning. Missouri law requires governmental bodies to review the qualifications of architects and engineers and to rank the best candidates before negotiating the cost of their services. The county commission and sheriff’s department plan to evaluate applicants in January and select the firm to prepare the full plans for the detention center expansion and for modernization of the existing detention center.
On Dec. 4, the county commission, Sheriff Mark Owen, and Prosecutor Eric Zahnd met with the architect that helped the Committee for Public Safety.
“We re-argued many of the same points that the citizens committee discussed this fall, such as the size of the expansion and the location,” Vanover said. “The citizens committee’s work has helped us focus on what is needed and what we think the public will support.”
The Committee for Public Safety recommended the county build an expansion that will meet the needs for 25 years.
Vanover updated the county commission, Owen and Zahnd regarding his meeting with two Kansas City council members on Dec. 13 about a possible joint venture. Kansas City does not currently have a jail, and it rents jail space in Warrensburg and Nevada, Mo. When the Platte County jail has gotten too full in recent months, it has driven overflow inmates to Buchanan County. A special committee of the Kansas City City Council is studying where to build a new city jail and its size.
“If we proceed with our jail expansion in Platte City, a shared site with Kansas City near the airport is unlikely,” Vanover said. “It is probably best for everyone if Kansas City’s new jail is in Jackson County, not near KCI.”
The county commission hired a financial advisor, McLiney and Company, during its administrative session on Dec. 4. The financial advisor is working to assemble the team to issue bonds if approved by the voters.
Architecture and engineering firms interested in developing the detailed plans for a detention center expansion are directed to contact the new county administrator, Wes Minder. Minder is a professional engineer that was hired by the county commission at the end of November. He previously worked for the city of Kansas City in several roles.