Category Archives: Locked Funds Insurance

— Limestone County Commission Chairman Stanley Menefee has recommended two architect firms for the courthouse and county jail projects. during a Wednesday work session, he recommended Montgomery-based 2WR for the courthouse renovation and Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood for the proposed jail expansion. GMC has offices across the state, including one in Huntsville. the commission will vote on the issue at Monday’s regular meeting. on Oct. 3, the commission named Martin & Cobey Construction Company Inc. as project manager on the courthouse renovations. Menefee said the county did not have to seek low bids to hire an architect. Limestone County has previous experience working with 2WR on the courthouse. in 2006, the News Courier reported the county paid the firm $46,000 to develop a plan for the renovations. Former County Commission Chairman David Seibert oversaw the completion of the first floor, but Menefee has since said the work was performed using overpriced inmate labor and renovations did not meet building codes. 2WR was also the architect for the Clinton Street Courthouse Annex, completed in 2004 at a cost of $3.7 million. Martin & Cobey also worked as construction manager on that project. “They were on the (courthouse project) to begin with,” Menefee said. “If we can get the specs drawn up by January, we can bid that project out.” he estimated it would take nine to 12 months to complete the courthouse renovations, expected to cost about $2 million to $2.5 million. GMC also has experience working on Limestone County projects, including the Limestone County Event Center and the Athens City Schools central office building, currently under construction on U.S. 31. in 2008, the county also paid the firm $22,350 to conduct a feasibility study on offices at the old county jail on Green Street. in 2009, the firm was paid $75,460 for limited architectural and engineering services for the old jail project. Menefee said the current Limestone County Jail is in need of additional cells because “there are some people who need to be locked up” by themselves. Sheriff Mike Blakely requested additional money in the 2012 budget to expand the jail. the department received a letter from its liability insurance company noting a need for more individual cells. the cells are used for not only disciplinary action, but in case an inmate has other family members in jail, has been charged with violent crimes, has violent tendencies, mental heath issues or if the inmate is injured and cannot be placed with the general population. in the county’s 2012 budget, $500,000 was earmarked for jail construction/maintenance. Menefee said the county may have to borrow money or “go to the bond market” to complete the project. Elsewhere, the commission discussed an agreement with the Alabama Department of Transportation to accept $434,680 in federal aid funds and adding county funds of $108,670 to resurface Mooresville Road from Capshaw to Barksdale roads. Commissioner Gerald Barksdale said the federal portion would only cover the resurfacing of about three and a half miles, and the county funds would resurface an additional mile. he said depending on funding, the county would also like to resurface north of Barksdale Road to Capshaw Road and Mooresville Road from U.S. 72 to Capshaw Road. in other business, the commission appointed Tony Graviet as interim director of the Community Corrections Program. he replaces George T. Craig, who resigned in August. Country Administrator Pam Ball said the decision to name an interim director was based on the fact that many of the program’s documents require a director’s signature. she said Graviet had been with the program since it began in 2006. the county also withdrew a bid proposal from Long-Lewis Ford of the Shoals for a mid-size sport utility vehicle. it chose instead to award the bid to Lynn Layton Chevrolet in the amount of $25,984.85. Menefee said the new bid was $3,000 less than the previous proposal. the commission will meet at 10 a.m. Monday at the Clinton Street annex.