photo by: Contributed

A rendering of the outside of the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center with the renovations and addition.

Douglas County commissioners will on Wednesday consider approving an approximately $82 million budget for the improvement and expansion of the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center and a new Public Safety building built next to the county jail.

County commissioners will receive a presentation from Treanor Architects and J.E. Dunn Construction regarding the $81,982,074 budget for the JLEC and Public Safety building. This total includes the costs associated with the recommendations from county staff, outlining additional features or potential deductions – referred to as “alternates” – to be incorporated into the development.

For the JLEC, some of these considerations include adding a parking lot between the JLEC and the courthouse, priced at around $342,000; adding fixtures in the lobby restrooms, for around $209,000; and adding solar panels on the roof, at a cost of about $233,000.

photo by: Contributed

An architectural rendering of the staff entrance to the Public Safety Building.

Commissioners will consider adding more square footage to the Public Safety Building footprint, for about $3.9 million, and adding solar panels at that site for around $359,000.

Along with the construction costs, the total cost for the project budget also includes fixture, furniture and equipment costs for the buildings along with a portion of a budget allocated to cover unexpected or unforeseen expenses that might arise during a professional service project.

photo by: Contributed

An architectural rendering of the public entrance to the Public Safety Building.

The JLEC building, home to the District Court, District Attorney’s Office, emergency communications and management offices, Sheriff’s Office, IT office and building maintenance staff, will undergo an expansion on its south side. This addition will provide additional space for more courtrooms, judges’ chambers, conference rooms and other facilities.

Adjacent to the Douglas County Jail, the new Public Safety Building will serve as the central hub for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the 911 dispatch center, and the county’s emergency management operations.

In other business, commissioners will:

* Consider authorizing the county administrator to sign a Memorandum of Understanding, or MOU, with the city of Lawrence. This non-binding agreement would define the roles and responsibilities of both parties and clarify the terms and expectations related to the county’s one-time funding commitment for a project to support an emergency shelter and service needs of homeless families in the county.

During the 2025 budget deliberations, the county commissioners approved a one-time funding request of $750,000 from the city of Lawrence. This initiative aligns with the county and city’s shared plan to end chronic homelessness, “A Place for Everyone.” This shelter specifically targets families with children under 18 and single-parent, female-headed households.

The project’s objective is to provide women and families with immediate access to low-barrier emergency shelter services for up to 65 by 2027. The Lawrence city commission will consider this MOU as part of its December 17, 2024, business agenda.

* Consider approving revisions to the Douglas County Code, Chapter 2, Animal Control. A major change removes the mention of an administrative hearing officer, and the county stated in a memo, “after thorough review with legal counsel, it has been determined that this is not permitted under Kansas State law.” Additionally, the updated code clarifies the role of the District Court in determining penalties for violations, which may include issuing arrest warrants for individuals who fail to appear.

As the Journal-World reported, earlier this year, commissioners were scheduled to consider a new process for enforcing the county’s animal code in February, but that did not happen. There was the consideration of implementing an administrative hearing process for animal code violations to either enforce citations or provide other avenues to resolve complaints.

* Consider authorizing the county administrator to sign a revised county partner funding agreement with the Douglas County Extension Council, which was initiated after 2025 budget deliberations.

As the Journal-World reported, the commissioners held a work session in August with Extension to overview the organization’s services and how they’re funded. While the commissioners had some questions about funding requests the extension council made for the county’s 2025 budget, there were also questions about the commission’s responsibility in the organization’s budget process. The proposed revisions aim to address those questions from commissioners.

* Consider awarding a contract for multifunction devices – which can include printers, copiers, scanners and fax machines – maintenance and related services to SumnerOne Inc. for a 60-month lease on 74 devices, 71 software licenses with 3 years of support, and 71 card readers at $46,516.32 per year, plus costs per copy. The total amount for the 60-month lease totals $232,581.60 plus costs per copy.

* Consider approving an amendment to the lease agreement for the Lawrence Douglas County Housing Authority, LDCHA, regarding their property for The Cottages, a 10-unit permanent supportive housing project on the behavioral health housing campus. This amendment will clarify whether the LDCHA or the county is responsible for covering damages resulting from a fire or other casualty.

Following a fire at one of the cottages in February 2024, LDCHA and county staff sought clarification on which party would be responsible for the deductible. LDCHA believed they should be held accountable, as they receive rent for the cottages. Additionally, LDCHA requested the ability to cover any difference in replacement or repair costs beyond insurance proceeds if Douglas County deems replacement or repair commercially unreasonable, according to a memo in the agenda.

* Consider approving revisions to the County Code of Douglas County, Chapter 8, Parks, Fairgrounds and Other County Facilities. These revisions are made to reflect the current fairgrounds policies and practices, which are established and maintained by the county commissioners, according to a memo in the agenda.

The County Commission’s business meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Douglas County Public Works training room at 3755 E. 25th St. The meeting will also be available via Zoom.

Editor’s note: This article was corrected to accurately state the status of agreements between Douglas County and the Extension Service. It has also been corrected to accurately list the “alternates” that the commission was scheduled to consider on Wednesday.