Date: 12/02/2008
Final
Update on Adams County DYC Facility Replacement
COMMITTEE ON CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT
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11:01 AM -- Update on Adams County Youth Services Center Replacement
Mr. John Gomez, Director, Division of Youth Corrections (DYC) and Mr. Bradford Membel, Director, Division of Facilities Management, Department of Human Services (DHS), gave an update on the Adams County Youth Services Center replacement. The committee received a letter about the facility condition index of buildings within the DHS (Attachment M), and a summary of the proposed Northeast Region Youth Services Center (Attachment N), both prepared by DHS. Mr. Gomez walked the committee through Attachment N and gave an overview of the detention and commitment capabilities of DYC facilities statewide. Mr. Gomez explained that 75 percent of the DYC population is placed in a facility outside of the juvenile's home region because of space limitations. Mr. Gomez addressed a question about DYC cooperation with juvenile assessment centers. He gave an overview of the five-year projected growth of the DYC population in the northeast region and explained that this is the only region in the state where the juvenile population is continuing to grow.
11:10 AM
Mr. Gomez continued with a description of the existing Adams County DYC facility, noting that it is the smallest facility in the state and is functionally obsolete. He said the facility serves the 17th judicial district. Mr. Gomez said a site in Adams County has been selected for the construction of a new facility. He reviewed the purchase agreement between the developer that owns the site, Adams County, the city of Brighton, and the department. He explained that this agreement has two state funding deadlines. The first deadline for state funds is December 31, 2013, to develop the site infrastructure. The second deadline for state funds is December 31, 2015, for construction costs. Mr. Gomez further explained that if the project is not funded, then land will revert back to county and the developer will purchase the land back from county.
11:20 AM
Mr. Gomez addressed questions about the funding deadlines and when the project will be completed. Mr. Gomez explained that if the current facility were to fail before the completion of a new facility, then the population would have to be absorbed by other facilities in the state. Mr. Gomez addressed a question about possible alternatives to building a new facility. He explained that law enforcement officials often have to drive to other districts because the existing facility in Adams County only houses a committed population; (the proposed facility will have both detention and commitment beds). Discussion continued about the purchase agreement for the new site. Mr. Gomez answered questions about how the new site will be accessed and what will happen to the existing facility after a new facility is completed. He said ownership of the current facility and property will revert back to Adams County and the county plans to demolish the existing facility.
11:29 AM
Discussion continued about possible alternatives to building a new facility, including private-sector options. Mr. Gomez said it is difficult to accommodate detention needs for the youth population in the private sector. He said there are presently no private providers for the juvenile system that own and operate a physically secure environment in the state. Mr. Membel addressed the contents of Attachment M. Mr. Gomez said that the current FY 2009-10 request for a Northeast Region Youth Services Center is for $4.0 million for design services and the total request amount for all years is $45.8 million.
11:37 AM
Representative McFadyen expressed support for the project and questioned whether the state could save any costs on LEED certification. Mr. Larry Friedberg, State Architect, Department of Personnel and Administration, addressed Representative McFadyen's question about the cost of LEED certification and reviewed the provisions of SB 07-051 and the responsibilities of his office. He said an institution can budget up to 5 percent of a project's total construction costs to meet the requirements of LEED certification. He added that LEED is a national standard and that it is required for any facility that receives state funds. Mr. Friedberg said that the 5 percent is for the project's design, materials, construction, and costs of certification, and that the costs of certification are a small fraction of the total construction costs. Mr. Gomez reiterated the need for a new facility and highlighted key points of his presentation.