During the October 7th meeting of the Vigo County Council, County Commissioners Chris Switzer and Mark Clinkenbeard requested nearly $900 thousand dollars for design and consulting work already performed by Garmong Construction and RQAW Engineering.

The designs were for a new $41 million community corrections building, located just south of the new jail, that would include separate areas for administration offices, probation offices, drug testing, and housing.

Tyler Claypool, project executive for Garmong Construction, said that the building would be just over 61,000 square feet, and 250 beds, with a 16 month construction time.

During his presentation, Switzer mentioned that the full amount of the design and consulting work would be over $2 million, and that the commissioners had hoped to receive a state grant that would have covered the fees, but that the grant offer was revoked.

In response to the request, Councilman Randy Gentry stated, “It’s a real shocker for you as a commissioner to stand in front of us and ask for just under a million for… what could technically be nothing.”

Following Gentry’s comments Commissioner Clinkenbeard spoke saying, “Whether you like us or not, something we’ve made a priority is fixing problems. Two years ago we were already overcrowded in the jail… this was at the top of the list, an expansion of community corrections.”

Tyler