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Workers construct a wall with cement blocks in the foreground while prefabricated cement walls are erected to serve as partitions between jail cells in the background at the new Law Enforcement Center on 28th Street in Sioux City on Tuesday.
Construction continues at the new Law Enforcement Center on 28th Street in Sioux City on Tuesday.
Workers construct a wall with cement blocks at the new Law Enforcement Center on 28th Street in Sioux City on Tuesday.
Interior partitions between jail cells are being constructed with prefabricated cement walls at the new Law Enforcement Center on 28th Street in Sioux City on Aug. 30.
Workers construct a wall with cement blocks in the foreground while prefabricated cement walls are erected to serve as partitions between jail cells in the background at the new Law Enforcement Center on 28th Street in Sioux City on Tuesday.
An interview with Ron Wieck, the Chairman of Woodbury County Law Enforcement Authority as he describes the progress on the new Law Enforcement Center. We apologize for the background noise at the construction site.
SIOUX CITY — The new Woodbury County Law Enforcement Center is starting to take shape a year after construction started.
The new jail is expected to be complete in late August 2023, five months later than the original estimate. Woodbury County LEC Authority chairman Ron Wieck said Tuesday the delay is due to supply chain issues and periods of inclement weather.
The site has recently been receiving deliveries of precast walls from Sioux Falls for the main structure. Weick said the site is close to having all the footings in place for the walls and the underground plumbing and electrical installed.
By the end of October, the prefabricated jail cells should be delivered and installed, he said.
“It’s awesome to see the building actually start becoming a building,” Wieck said.
Woodbury county voters passed a $50.3 million bond issue in March 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain issues, the low bid for the main construction phase came in well above estimates at $58.4 million.
Counting additional other expenses, the project's price tag now stands at $69 million. The new total estimate includes design fees, project management fees, land purchases, bond costs, project change orders and site preparation.
Wieck said the Authority has the funding needed to complete the project. There are still supply chain issues for most areas of the project, including steel and concrete and truck delivery.
Shane Albrecht of the Baker Group said the observers will start seeing outside walls going up and after that work is completed, roofing will begin.
The 110,000-square-foot jail will hold up to 448 inmates; nearly double the roughly 234 inmate-capacity for the current aging jail, located across the street from the county courthouse. The new Law Enforcement Center also will have separate offices for the county sheriff and attorney, plus five courtrooms.
The county Board of Supervisors hired UHY Consulting from Columbia, Maryland to help the in finding uses for the American Rescue Plan Act COVID-19 recovery funds.
To bridge the gap between actual costs and the voter approved bond, the board of supervisors has allocated $10 million of the American Rescue Plan Act COVID-19 relief funding to the project.
In June, Albrecht said there was $11.3 million in costs that could be paid with ARPA funding.
On Tuesday, the Authority approved a new visitation policy, restricting who can visit the site. Individuals must have OSHA training, Hausmann Construction training and prior approval to visit by both the Authority and Hausmann Construction, the project's general contractor.
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Bernie Scolaro was chosen by the Sioux City School Board in a 4 to 2 vote on Friday night with Perla Alarcon-Flory, Taylor Goodvin, Jan George and Monique Scarlett voting in favor of her in the final round of balloting.
For three weeks in a row, many Woodbury County residents attended the Board of Supervisors meeting to speak in favor of changing the current commercial wind ordinance setback distances for residences from 1,250 feet to 2,500 feet.
Interim superintendent Rod Earleywine took most of Monday morning to speak with students and teachers on the first day of school. During that time, he asked middle and high school students about the new cell phone policy.
On Friday, the Sioux City school board will make a decision as to who will fill the vacant position left by Juline Albert. The seven candidates took time on Monday to tell the board about themselves and their goals.
After two years away and millions spent, students and families got a first look at the new Hunt A+ Arts Elementary School on Monday.
All Sioux City elementary schools were temporarily in a lockout Tuesday due to students at North Middle being shot at by an airsoft gun. The individuals involved were a 16-year-old male and a 14-year old male, according to a Sioux City PD press release.
In July, the school board approved a more restrictive mobile phone policy after a district behavior survey. “It’s really making a difference,” said Associate Superintendent Angela Bemus.
Workers construct a wall with cement blocks in the foreground while prefabricated cement walls are erected to serve as partitions between jail cells in the background at the new Law Enforcement Center on 28th Street in Sioux City on Tuesday.
Construction continues at the new Law Enforcement Center on 28th Street in Sioux City on Tuesday.
Workers construct a wall with cement blocks at the new Law Enforcement Center on 28th Street in Sioux City on Tuesday.
Interior partitions between jail cells are being constructed with prefabricated cement walls at the new Law Enforcement Center on 28th Street in Sioux City on Aug. 30.
Workers construct a wall with cement blocks in the foreground while prefabricated cement walls are erected to serve as partitions between jail cells in the background at the new Law Enforcement Center on 28th Street in Sioux City on Tuesday.
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