Amador County – Amador County is among 25 counties in the state that has been invited to apply for some $600 million in funds being made available for county jail construction.
The California Corrections Standards Authority announced Wednesday that Amador County is among 25 counties in the state that have been invited to apply for AB 900 funds to construct a jail.
Amador County submitted an interest statement for the grant, and is among 10 “small counties” under 200,000 population that was invited to apply for funds by Jan. 11, 2012 “under admissions and/or relinquishing preference.” Amador is one of two small counties, along with San Benito, that is “eligible to relinquish a Phase 1 award,” according to the Corrections Standards Authority (CSA).
AB 900, the “Local Jail Construction Financing Program,” was signed into law in 2007, according to the CSA, “appropriating $1.2 billion in jail construction funding through state lease-revenue bonds.” The online San Francisco Chronicle reported Thursday that the CSA will be making $600 million of the funds available by March 2012, to some of the 25 applicants.
Amador County on Tuesday approved a new nexus fee schedule for its jail facility, which sets impact fee rates for a new jail, slated for 200 acres of county property on Wicklow Way. The study, by Goodwin Consulting Group said that the “county has identified a need for a new 82,460 square foot building to meet the inmate housing requirements identified in the Jail Needs Assessment Report. This new facility is designed to include 217 beds, as well as food, medical and administrative facilities.”
The study report said the “total estimated cost of the new jail facility is approximately $56.5 million.” The report noted that the Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians’ proposed casino is included in the study for the jail, but it does not include another casino being sought to be built by the Ione Band of Miwok Indians, on 228 acres in and around Plymouth. It noted that if the Ione Band’s casino is approved, it must be factored into the Jail Needs Assessment Report, and updated in the nexus.
The Goodwin study said the jail needs report estimated that the average daily inmate population in Amador County will be 150 inmates by 2040.” It added 25 percent as a “peaking classification factor,” and also predicted the Buena Vista Rancheria casino would contribute 15 people to the county’s average daily inmate population, and migrant farm workers another 5.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
