photo by: Journal-World File Photo

The Douglas County Judicial and Law Enforcement Center is pictured in this file photo from Aug. 4, 2020.

Douglas County commissioners will consider a resolution to initiate the process of using bonds – a way for the government to borrow money – to help pay for a portion of the approximately $80 million Judicial and Law Enforcement Center and Public Safety Building projects.

On Wednesday, county commissioners will consider the project authorization for the bond financing – a type of long-term borrowing that local governments use to raise money for long-lived infrastructure assets – for the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center, JLEC, and Public Safety Building project.

Similar to how a family may pay off a mortgage on a home, local governments can use bonds to pay for infrastructure projects by selling bonds to investors and repaying them over time plus interest.

The county has not yet determined the total amount it will request for the project funding from the bonds. However, a memo in the agenda states that county commissioners will review another resolution on April 9 to approve the bond sale.

The project will not require a tax increase for Douglas County residents, county officials previously have said. In November, county staff shared a plan with commissioners that showed $20 million in cash on hand is available to fund part of the project while the remaining amount will be funded with bonds paid for within existing sales tax authority. A county spokesperson told the Journal-World via email that staff is evaluating whether additional cash from the county’s Capital Improvement Plan account can be put towards the project, but that decision doesn’t need to be made until late March.

As the Journal-World reported in December, the county commissioners approved a budget of $81,982,074 for the renovations and expansion of the JLEC, as well as the construction of a new Public Safety Building. The JLEC portion of the project is estimated to cost $52,509,198, while the Public Safety Building is projected to cost $18,990,584. The remaining budget will cover costs for furniture, fixtures, equipment, and any unforeseen expenses.

The renovation and addition to the existing JLEC building and construction of a new Public Safety Building is the largest capital improvement project in the county’s history.

The JLEC building, which houses the District Court, District Attorney’s Office, emergency communications and management offices, Sheriff’s Office, IT department, and building maintenance staff, will be expanded on its south side. This expansion will add 158,075 square feet to the south side of the existing JLEC. It will create additional space for more courtrooms, judges’ chambers, conference rooms and other essential facilities.

The Public Safety Building will be located next to the Douglas County Jail, 3601 E. 25th St., and will serve as the central hub for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the 911 dispatch center and the county’s emergency management operations.

According to the memo, commissioners will award the sale of the bonds on May 7 and receipts of proceeds and a settlement of the bonds will be available on May 28.

In other business, county commissioners will:

* Hear a presentation on Douglas County’s Entrepreneurship Community program, recognized by Network Kansas for over 14 years. Network Kansas leverages statewide networks to connect entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources, tools, and connections they need to succeed. Douglas County is one of 75 Kansas communities partnering with Network Kansas to drive this important work. No action will follow the presentation that is for informational purposes only.

* Consider approving a redesignation agreement for the Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Organization. The agreement was revised to account for changes to the “organizational structure within the City of Lawrence and to align with KDOT’s updated designation language.” According to a memo in the agenda, no substantive changes were made to the agreement, but information and technical language related to KDOT’s recommended language were added.

* Hear a presentation from Little Government Relations to provide an update on the activities of the Kansas Legislature, which will detail actions on noteworthy bills. Last week, the legislature debated over 150 bills in both chambers Tuesday through Thursday, according to a memo in the agenda.

The County Commission will have a work session beginning at 4 p.m. Wednesday in the Douglas County Commission meeting room at 1100 Massachusetts St. The business meeting will follow at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will also be available via Zoom.