photo by: TreanorHL/Contributed graphic

This graphic shows plans for a transitional group home, shown as Tier II, and a 10-unit apartment complex (Tier III) on the site of the behavioral health campus to be built on the 1000 block of West Second Street north of the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center headquarters.

The Douglas County Commission could take the first step in seeking out a construction manager to assist in the design of both a jail expansion and parts of planned behavioral health housing projects.

Rather than the traditional design-bid-build method, a construction manager at risk, or CMR, would provide the county a guaranteed maximum price for the work.

Interim County Administrator Sarah Plinsky said in a memo to the commission that the CMR method could increase the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the projects. However, the county must go through a set procedure to consider that option.

At their Wednesday meeting, commissioners will consider the first step of that process: publishing notice of a public hearing on the matter. If approved, that public hearing would be held Feb. 20, according to the memo.

The CMR’s projects would include the design of an expansion to the Douglas County Jail and tiers 2 and 3 of behavioral health housing projects, which will provide supportive housing to those with mental illness or substance use disorders, the Journal-World has reported. In November 2018, county voters approved a quarter-cent sales tax to fund the behavioral health campus in a measure that passed with more than 70 percent of the vote.

After the public hearing, the county would determine whether to move forward in the process. If so, the county could then publish a request for proposals seeking a firm to take on the CMR duties.

“Soliciting and contracting with a construction manager doesn’t approve the project at this time,” Plinsky wrote in the memo.

• • •

In other business, Douglas County residents could get access to an app that aims to boost mental health, if county leaders agree to take on a share of the costs.

The county’s Behavioral Health Leadership Coalition recommends providing the “myStrength” app to all residents “as a strategy to empower individuals to address depression, anxiety, stress, substance use, chronic pain and sleep challenges, in a self-directed way, while also supporting the physical and spiritual aspects of whole person health,” according to a memo from Bob Tryanski, director of behavioral health projects.

The Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department was awarded a $20,000 “mini grant” from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to cover more than half of the costs to launch and implement myStrength for its first year. The cost to the county in 2019 would not exceed $19,500, according to the memo.

• • •

Commissioners will also consider:

• Formalizing an agreement with LMH Health to fund four behavioral health crisis clinicians to work in the hospital’s emergency department. The county has been piloting the program for months, and Tryanski is asking commissioners on Wednesday to formalize the agreement. If commissioners approve, the county would reimburse the hospital $250,000 of an estimated $310,000 total for salaries and benefits of the four positions.

• Changing fee policies for nonprofit use of the Douglas County Fairgrounds. Proposed changes clarify that nonprofits can use the fairgrounds facilities free of charge for civic purposes, such as educational meetings, seminars and training, which is not explicitly stated in the policy as it stands. However, if a nonprofit wants to host an event that charges admission or sells any products, those types of events would fall under the county’s “commercial” category and be subject to fees. The changes would also raise the price of an alcohol permit from $25 to $50.

• Approving changes to bylaws of the Food Policy Council, a joint Lawrence and Douglas County advisory board that the county established in 2009 “to identify the benefits, challenges, and opportunities for a successful, sustainable local food system in Douglas County,” according to a resolution in the commission agenda materials. The board wants to reduce membership from 23 to 16, with nine appointed by the county and seven by the city of Lawrence. It also wants to narrow its focus to policy and community convening.

The Douglas County Commission will meet at 4 p.m. Wednesday at the Douglas County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St. Complete agenda materials are available online at douglascountyks.org.