Bell to consider $11.5M jail cost amendment

Officials contracted with Fort Worth-based Sedalco Construction Services for the expansion, which will be constructed on county-owned land that includes the court and jail complex at 1201 Huey Road in Belton.

The Bell County Jail expansion is needed, officials have said, because of an increased inmate population — often more than 1,200 inmates — related to Central Texas growth.

Bell County has found ways to keep the jail population low — preferred at about 925 — during the coronavirus pandemic, including issuing citations for some non-violent misdemeanor cases.

The county also contracts with seven other Texas counties for jail services. Commissioners recently approved $3.5 million for the 2022 fiscal year to house inmates outside of Bell County.

Rising construction costs — including metal prices — related to national shortages prompted commissioners to lock in the project costs early in the process.

In August, the court approved a proposed budget for two pre-engineered metal buildings for the facility expansion.

Although the county is not required to pay anything upfront, the county will pay $959,215 once the buildings are installed.

“Basically, what we are doing with this is buying our place in line to start the fabrication of the metal building,” Commissioner Russell Schneider told the Telegram in August. “It is a long lead out. Sedalco (is) entering in a contract with the metal building (manufacturer) and we are in a contract with Sedalco.”

The project is being paid for out of the more than $138 million of certifications of obligation issued by the county in May, with the jail accounting for the largest portion.

Officials said they hope the new minimum security facility will help house more of the jail’s population while they wait for the main expansion to be completed.

County spokesman James Stafford has said the minimum security facility portion of the project will be the first phase started and completed. There are still some steps that need to be completed before the project can moves forward, he said.

Commissioners “are in the process of developing the project drawings and Guaranteed Maximum Price for the project,” Stafford previously told the Telegram. “Once the Commissioners Court approves that GMP, they will move into the construction phase.”

The fabrication and installation of the structure could occur sometime in December. The facility foundation is expected to be complete by the time the metal structure is ready, officials said.