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SLO County women’s jail project $3.3 million over budget

August 10, 2016

slo county signThe San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors approved a $1.1 million cost overrun on the ongoing expansion of the women’s jail on Tuesday. Builders have also fallen one year behind schedule on the project. [Tribune]

Previously, the supervisors approved cost overruns totaling $2.2 million. Following Tuesday’s budget adjustment, the expansion of the women’s jail is $3.3 million over budget. The project was originally estimated to cost $40.7 million and is now expected to cost $44 million.

During Tuesday’s meeting, the supervisors voted to approve the cost overrun without having any discussion on the matter. No member of the public commented on the item, either.

County officials will allocate $1.1 obtained through savings from previous capital improvement projects in order to cover the latest overrun. State grants have contributed $25.1 million in funding for the project.

The jail expansion consists of a 36,000 square-foot addition to the women’s housing facility. New cells will provide housing for 198 inmates.

Additionally, the project includes a new medical and dental facility, which will serve both male and female inmates, as well as an upgrade to the entire jail’s security electronics.

El Dorado Hills-based contractor Roebbelen Contracting Inc. is tasked with completing the project. Construction began in 2014. Completion is now scheduled for July 2017, but the new jail cells may be ready this September.

Dave Flynn, the county’s deputy director of public works, said Tuesday that recent delays are due to soil conditions and construction changes ordered by the state fire marshal. An unexpected amount of rock and cobble made drilling and building foundation structures more difficult and time-consuming, Flynn said.

The fire marshal ordered builders to change the way they construct hollow metal walls, which are designed to be fire barriers. That change probably caused a delay of several months, Flynn said.


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“…unexpected amount of rock and cobble made drilling and building foundation structures more difficult and time-consuming, Flynn said” Really, with all the building done at this location are you telling me that no one knew about the drilling problems. This is just a joke!


The total over run for this project to-date equals about $95 a foot. I do not understand why everything that government builds in this County is always over budget. There should be accountability for errors and there should not be change orders over $50,000 without a public notice. We have a right to know what EACH upgrade and cost is. Jails are built everyday, they should be a master plan, like they didn’t know about the fire walls in a public jail, like this isn’t standard in jails. Why the pay the architect for sloppy work, unless of course he made a contribution to Adam Hill’s campaign since he has so much power! No one cares because it is not their money. If this was a private enterprise, this would not be acceptable and heads would roll!


And shame on the Supervisor’s for not shaming their fair hair boy, Parkinson, and telling him not to come back for more. $44 million to house 198 losers is absolutely ridiculous, it is a damn jail not a penthouse!


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Pennies a day…wait until the super train to nowhere is built….it will be billions over budget.

Oh, and don’t forget the goal is to make the new jail more accommodating, more country club like…as any good jail in SLO should be.


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Is this a preview of what is to come with the Homeless shelter / Prado fiasco? Something to look forward to… more fleecing and back-room deals… great.


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rOy,


One grant from the county of $1.2 million dollars is the total of any money coming from the city or county. The rest is from donations. They are currently about $400K short. I haven’t been able to find anything to establish your fear of any over costs translating back to SLO residents; maybe you’re just doing some ill-placed fear mongering?


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3.3 million over?…..why is anyone surprised? When you vote for more regulation and red tape you get more regulation and red tape. We’re lucky it’s only 3.3.


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This s a bunch of crap. Our supervisors have got to be the biggest morons this side of Texas. Wasting our tax dollars left and right. Cost overruns, my culo. poor planning and fleecing us tax payers without explanation is more like it. We want a breakdown of what the heck went wrong here. Fat pig Adam is probably behind it along with panga boat captain Parkinwaste. I bid a job it is done for that price period. Fire the whole lot of county employees and start over.


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