Item:
Title
Approval of Budget Ordinance Amendment No. 21BCC000065 Appropriating $186,394.99 of General Fund Fund Balance for Padded Cells Project in the Durham County Detention Facility, and Contract Approval with Cornerstone Detention Products Inc. for the Project
Body
Date of BOCC Meeting: February 8, 2021
Request for Board Action:
Agenda Text
The Board is requested to approve Budget Ordinance Amendment No. 21BCC000065 appropriating $186,349.99 of General Fund Fund Balance to cover the cost of construction and installation of five padded cells in the Durham County Detention Facility. The Board is also requested approve a contract with Cornerstone Detention Products Inc. in the amount of $159,197 for the construction and installation of the cells and authorize the County Manager to execute the contract. The remaining $27,197.99 requested for the project will cover plumbing costs associated with the project to be completed by Brown Brothers (proposal attached).
The padded cells project was developed to support the mental health needs of detainees housed inside the detention facility. These cells will provide additional insulation and protection for the most vulnerable detainees during mental health crises. In partnership with the Criminal Justice Resource Center (CJRC) and American Correctional Association, padded cells were strongly recommended as a safer option for detainees, as they are designed to decrease the chance of injury to themselves or others. Currently, there are no padded cells inside the facility.
The Board of County Commissioners approved $193,125 in the FY19/20 budget for the project. The project was late to start in fall 2019, with the RFP ultimately not starting until December 2019. Early in 2020, the County experienced a malware attack followed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This delayed the completion of the project RFP which required an on-site visit at the detention facility. Work on the project started again in September 2020 once safety protocols were implemented at the detention facility. The RFP was finalized in November 2020.
The delay in the project resulted in the project funding inadvertently not being rolled over to the current fiscal year. This budget ordinance amendment in the amount of $186,349.99 is requested to come from General Fund Fund Balance. See the attachment for a detailed description of the associated costs.
Alignment with Strategic Plan: This request supports the County’s Strategic Goal 3: Safe Community
Resource Persons: Elijah Bazemore, Major of Programs, Durham County Sheriff's Office; Thomas Hinton, Finance Manager, Durham County Sheriff's Office.
County Manager’s Recommendation: The Board is requested to approve Budget Ordinance Amendment No. 21BCC000065 appropriating $186,349.99 of General Fund Fund Balance to cover the cost of construction and installation of five padded cells in the Detention Facility. The Board is also requested to approve a contract with Cornerstone Detention Products Inc. in the amount of $159,197 for the project and authorize the County Manager to execute the contact. The remaining $27,197.99 requested for the project will cover plumbing costs associated with the project to be completed by Brown Brothers (proposal attached).
Signature
County Manager: ____________________________