County OKs bids for jail dorm, bridge
Columbia County commissioners approved two new construction bids and rejected another during a Tuesday meeting.
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The commission dismissed multi-million-dollar bids to construct an addition for Building C of the Evans Government Center on Ronald Reagan Drive because of the inclusion of a skywalk as an alternate in the requests for bids.
Officials decided not to construct the skywalk between Building C and Building B and restart the bidding process.
Accepting new bids will delay building of the addition by about a month, said county Construction and Maintenance Services Director Matt Schlachter.
Commissioners did approve a nearly $2.1 million bid to add a 10,000-square-foot dorm to the Columbia County Detention Center off Columbia Road.
Though the sheriff's office has not exceeded the jail's 266-prisoner capacity, it often nears that limit. Adding to the detention center now might prevent jailers from forcing prisoners to sleep on mattresses on the floor.
The dorm can house 72 medium-security inmates.
Future expansion plans at the jail include building another dorm and an administration building.
Construction on the project should start in January.
Also starting in January will be the construction of a pedestrian bridge across Reed Creek.
The $114,700 bridge will connect the boardwalk of the Reed Creek Interpretive Center to 37 acres of greenspace on the opposite bank.
County officials also intend to add walking trails within the greenspace area, said Community and Leisure Services Director Barry Smith. The county completed a 1,080-foot extension of the boardwalk farther into the Reed Creek wetlands this year.
Also at the meeting, commissioners delayed enforcement of a new county resolution establishing fines for those parking illegally in handicap spots. Magistrate Court officials needed more time to update paperwork related to the fines, said County Clerk Erin Hall.
The $250 fines for first-time offenders and $500 fines for subsequent offenders will be enforced starting Feb. 1.