BENTONVILLE — Benton County is approaching time for a decision on a proposal for a new juvenile justice center after many months of discussion.
A pre-bid meeting for contractors interested in bidding on the project is set for 2 p.m. Monday in the Quorum Court meeting room at the Benton County Administration Building. A bid opening is scheduled for 10 a.m. Nov. 4 at the same location.
Benton County Justice of the Peace Frank Winscott said he's optimistic the pre-bid meeting will be brief and interest in the project will be high.
"We will be bringing the bids and bid packages before the (Long Range) Planning Committee (on Nov. 4) and then take it to the Finance Committee the next week," Winscott said. "We've had some ballpark estimates early on in the project that put the cost from $5 million to $5.5 million. I certainly hope it comes in at less than that."
Winscott said the current economic slump has slowed building activity in the area and bids for projects like the juvenile justice center are becoming more competitive.
"I've heard that bids are coming in at 20 or 25 percent less than what they were. I'm hopeful, but you just never know until you get the bids back," he said.
The new facility would essentially double the space available for housing juvenile offenders, according to information from the county. The county now has 17 beds in its juvenile detention center; the new juvenile justice center would have 34 or 36. The new center, planned for a site on county-owned land on Arkansas 102, would also include more space for juvenile court and office space for the county's juvenile probation office. Moving the juvenile detention facility, court and probation offices from their current location in downtown Bentonville would also free up that space for county use.
Richard McComas, Benton County's comptroller, said the county already has appropriated $300,000 for engineering and architectural fees for the project. Beyond that, he said, no money is committed to the project. McComas said the county's capital improvements fund now has about $4.1 million in it, but there are projects that remain unfinished. McComas said the Quorum Court will have to consider how to fund the juvenile justice center if the justices of the peace choose to proceed with it.
Justice of the Peace Dan Douglas said the construction cost will be a big factor in his decision, but not the only factor.
"I feel like it is needed, but whether we will be able to build it depends on how those bids come back," Douglas said. "We've had some rough 'guesstimates' in the $5 million range. If the bids come back more than that I don't know if we can afford to build it. But whether we can afford to build it or not, the costs to operate it will only go up every year."
Douglas said the Quorum Court needs to have better information on potential operating costs before deciding to build any new facility.
"We need to be getting some operating costs lined up," Douglas said. "We need to know that before we decide to build. We need to be able to do both. If it's built with taxpayer money, there has to be a need for it and we have to be able to pay to operate it. It needs to be used for what it's built for."
***
AT A GLANCE
Juvenile Justice Center Facility Schedule
Monday: Pre-bid meeting
Nov. 4: Bid opening
Nov. 4: Long Range Planning Committee reviews bids
Nov. 9: Finance Committee reviews bids
Nov. 9: Committee of 13 reviews bids
Nov. 18: Quorum Court considers contract for construction
Source: Benton County