What will be done to the existing facilities remains the primary issue to be resolved in establishing what steps to take next in the development of a new jail/safety complex.

During her regular update to the Lyon County Commissioners, Project Engineer Donette Baretto said the Jail Committee decided to have the structural engineer further evaluate the Harris Report’s recommendations regarding the gutting of the existing building and leaving all the load bearing walls.  Committee members had concerns with how this would affect usable space and wanted an assessment of what could be done if some of those load-bearing walls were removed and at what cost.

This data was presented at the November 19 committee meeting.  It was decided at that time to take the time to gather more data regarding the existing building.  Some committee members feel some of the Harris Report estimates are too high.  CRA, the project architect, was already in the process of substantiating the numbers in the Harris Report.  The committee now has this data and scheduled it for discussion at their December 3 meeting.  This information will be brought to the December 17 commission meeting.

The Jail Committee is comprised of Baretto, County Manager Dennis Stark, County Engineer Dick Faber, Commissioner Chuck Roberts, and Virgil Arellano, representing the public.  All meetings will be posted and minutes taken.  All members must be present at each meeting and all decisions relating to the project will pass through the committee.  Roberts was named chairman.

A link to information relating to the jail project will be placed on the county website.  The Jail Committee will determine what information will be available to the site, including construction documents, advertizing, project updates, contracts, et al.

Baretto said the draft Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for a Construction Manager at Risk is ready and advertizing should go out in the next week or so.

Commissioner Larry McPherson, who has been an outspoken critic of the jail project being located in Yerington, told the board, "I will no longer oppose the safety complex being built in Yerington because we know it is a done deal.  We know it is going to happen, so I am not going to lose any more hair over it."

The purpose of the Harris Report was to provide a comprehensive deficiency list for the campus/building and develop a budget cost estimate for the repair/replacement costs.  This assessment was completed July 28, 2009.

Clemons, Rutherford and Associates (CRA) was hired in October as the architectural firm.

The only billing received to this point is related to the Harris Report and totals approximately $62,000.