In their first meeting since a broken water pipe drenched three offices in the deteriorating Walton Way jail, the men who control Richmond County Sheriff Ronnie Strength's budget said it's time to figure out where his new administration building will be -- pronto.
"It's time for action," Mayor Pro Tem Alvin Mason said at Tuesday's Augusta Commission meeting.
City Administrator Fred Russell told commissioners he'll confer with the sheriff and make a recommendation by the next meeting on Feb. 16, if not sooner. The city has $9 million in sales tax funds set aside for a new sheriff's headquarters -- the last $6 million raised in a bond issued in December against the next round of collections that voters approved in June.
What hasn't been decided, though, is whether to buy the 4.34-acre former Smartway Furniture building in the Southgate Shopping Center or put up a new building downtown near the new judicial center.
Russell said he is about to begin negotiations with the owner of the downtown site and would not disclose its location. An environmental study is being performed, he said.
Strength, who appeared before the board Tuesday to talk about recent homicides and the financial needs of his department, said he's been working with Russell on the issue for 18 months, having looked at six possible sites.
Though downtown offices would put his deputies close to the Municipal Building and the courts, Sheriff Strength said, he could get into the Smartway building faster.
It would take an estimated 12 to 14 months to renovate and relocate to the shopping center on Gordon Highway. Constructing a new building and moving in would take about two years.
Russell advised commissioners not to make a hasty decision because of what happened last week, reminding them that any money spent fixing the Walton Way jail will reduce the money that can go into the new administration building.
Referring to media reports of last week's ceiling collapse, Russell said, "We need to make that decision based on the facts, not based on what you see on television or read in the newspaper."
On Friday, a broken pipe overflowed a spill tray in the ceiling and soaked three offices and hundreds of paychecks and W-2 forms. Computers and furniture were also damaged.
Since then, employees have been working at makeshift offices in the main hallway while crews work to replace the carpet and repaint the walls. Chief Deputy Sid Hatfield said they have moved about 800 files that need to be inspected for damage.
Since it opened in the 1985, the jail has been plagued with leaky pipes and mold. Metal spill trays, like the kind that overflowed last week, are scattered throughout the building, hidden just above the ceiling tiles to catch leaks.
Five years ago, the estimated cost to fix the leaks and mold was between $9.5 million to $10 million. Commissioners voted to limit repairs to $352,000 as they search for a new place to house the deputies.
South Augusta commissioners Bill Lockett and Jimmy Smith both made pitches for the Southgate building. The sheriff's office already has a substation in the back of the strip mall, housed in an old theater, but moving into the former furniture store would make the police presence more visible.
Smith said having sheriff's headquarters at Southgate would also help revive an area riddled with boarded-up storefronts.
"I really think that consideration ought to be made," he said.
Staff Writer Adam Folk contributed to this article.
Also Tuesday, Augusta commissioners:
- Voted 9-0-1, with J.R. Hatney abstaining, to deny a dance hall license to Magic City at 1365 Gordon Highway, by the Relax Inn. The License & Inspection Department contended that owner Chondra Dixon had been essentially operating without one, with fliers showing up at high schools advertising "drink specials" and "ladies free w/lingerie." Meanwhile, the sheriff's office handled two incidents there involving weapons.
- Nixed Commissioner Don Grantham's proposed budget revisions for outside agencies, instead voting 9-1, Grantham opposing, to fund the groups for three months at the levels City Administrator Fred Russell recommended last year when he proposed across-the-board 15 percent cuts. Meanwhile, the commission will devise criteria for deciding which groups should be cut more or less, according to Joe Bowles' motion.
- Heard a report from Sheriff Ronnie Strength on the city's street gang situation. Strength repeated that Augusta doesn't have national gangs like major cities, just "thugs" who wish they were in such gangs and often need to borrow their mothers' cars to get to meetings. He said that Operation Augusta Ink crippled the city's major gangs but now they're reorganizing. Strength said he'll eventually need more manpower to keep the city safe.
I think "Ft Discovery" would be a fitting name for the sheriff's office, especially the investigations division.
The detention center is a perfect example of why the lowest bid is not always the best bid.
Colco even the best Mercedes will quit running if you don't check the oil or tune it up. Once the AC has the city salaries up again we will know how many people are in maintenance for the sheriffs office. Did you ever notice that he always needs more people and is unwilling to reprogram what he has to provide a response to any given situation? I would think that reducing some of the radar patrols and increasing neighborhood presence would be the way to go.
Just a reminder, ColCo, that Augusta's procurement department has a history of rejecting the low bidders and instead choosing contractors with higher prices; but contractors that have political and personal relations with city officials.
I am not sure who built that building, but they need to have their license revoked. It was having similar issues less than 10 years after being built. I agree with the Ft. Discovery option, or the Smartway Furniture option, but I think for it to truly serve its purpose it needs to look like a Sheriffs office and not an old grocery store.
They all missed the boat by not purchasing and moving to the Regency mall property. That building has room for all the offices; the sheriff's entourage, the judges, the jail and courtrooms. It could have been a true judicial center but some didn't want to make that drive on a dailey basis. Any move out into the county is surely going to upset Sentinel; they may actually have to walk further than 150 feet.
We are building a new judicial center on Walton Way. Wouldn't it be prudent to locate the Sheriff's office next door? We must think of the future costs not just what we can "get away with" right now.
I believe a new, progessional law enforcement building should be built where all departments can work together.. Being near the Judical Bldg is not needed. The conditions in its current location has been appalling for anyone to have to work there. Dissman, if RC wants good law enforcement, then give the Sheriff the budget to hire and tain more people and pay them a salary that keeps them here.
Guys, didn't you read above where it will cost taxpayers more to build a building than to move into Smartway? I say use the Smartway option or just put the sheriff's department employees into portable classrooms or leased office trailers. We have too many Taj Mahal government buildings around here already. And, Unbelievable, what exactly does a sheriff's office look like anyway ?
You don't want the Sheriff's office and the Courthouse too far away from each other. The closer they are, the better. Ask North Augusta about the ACDC located in Aiken. They will tell you, not a good idea. So much time and money and effort is wasted on transporting prisoners.
corgimom, again, you've approached the problem from the angle of one of my concerns, the Sheriff's office and Courthouse should be in close proximity to save on time and fuel costs as you pointed out. I am also hoping wherever they put the new offices in relation to the new Municipal building, there will not be a railroad track in between. The clogged up roads this morning because of a stalled train downtown probably upset a lot of schedules today.
Do you spend the money for a building- that will last for years, unless it's 401 Walton Way- or do you spend tons of money every single year on vehicles, vehicle costs, and personnel to transport prisoners back and forth? One time, up front, or wind up spending more in the long run? Because every single prisoner gets carted back and forth, back and forth, and it usually takes multiple trips for each one. There are at minimum, 2 trips for every person arrested, and frequently more.
The RCBOE still has school properties it's trying to unload. One is the old Davidson downtown. Would any of those facilities work? It could benefit both the city and the school board.
Not enough parking. They were built in the days before cars were invented, and that's why they aren't suitable as schools any more. They also would cost a fortune to retrofit and put in needed security features- and when they are done, they still have an old, worn out building that is badly deteriorated. There are significant reasons why the BOE can't sell them.
The location of the Sheriff's office has little impact on the cost of transporting prisoners to the courthouse. The location of the jail does. That will all eventually be out at Phinizy Road. Regency Mall would have been and is a disaster. Going into former retail space in a shoppping center that may or may not come back is foolish. Economics are as much an issue as police presence.
Corgimom is right about the BOE properties. The cost of renovation due to the current condition would be outrageous and parking is inadequate.
I think the "leaking roof" angle is "planned obsolescence". The jail, the library, the courthouse, the out house, the hen house.......Then what is not "planned obselescence" in Augusta. "Is there not one competence roofing company in all of Del Boca Augusta"
Little Lamb sez; "And, Unbelievable, what exactly does a sheriff's office look like anyway ?"
__________________________
Come out to Columbia County and see!
I don't care if they are or are not called national gangs or if we have "national gangs" or not, it doesn't matter. What I care about is that criminal behavior continues to be investigated and prosecuted. I really don't give a flip if they are called gangs or thugs. If they are committing crimes they are criminals and should be treated as such. I'd like to take a walk for exercise without having to be worried about being shot at, assaulted, robbed, harassed or stolen from while I'm out for 45 minutes in my own neighborhood, which is by no means a ghetto.
There is one big problem with the posts concerning the need for all buildings to be in a central location.....The jail or at least a part of the jail is on Phinizy Rd. It is my understanding that another jail expansion will occur at Phinizy Rd. So, if the jail is Phinizy Rd and the New Judicial Center is being built on Walton Way, then there is still a transportation issue.
In reading this article, I get the impression that what is being sought is a building that will be for administrative offices. Quoting the above "it's time to figure out where his new administration building will be -- pronto."
With a jail in South Augusta and the judicial center to be on Walton Way, it is impossible to have everything in one central location.
Pointstoponder, I didn't see your post prior to making mine or I would not have created such a redundant post in relation to yours.
Also, concerning the issues of 401 Walton Way, they go back much farther than 10 years ago.....Before it ever opened, there was a flood in the building due to faulty washers being used.
Little Lamb sez:
What does a sheriff's office look like anyway?
Sargebaby sez:
Come out to Columbia County and see!
Little Lamb sez:
How about the sheriff's office in Mayberry?
I live in columbia county and do not see anything that I find impressive about the sheriff's office in this county....Now, Mayberry--that's a different story. That was a REAL sheriff's office.
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