Johnson County jail remodel gets OK

The Johnson County Board of Supervisors on Thursday unanimously approved a $455,000 remodel of the county jail.

The work will include building a larger holding area, expanding the booking area and decreasing the lobby so more space can go toward jail operations. It also will expand the sally port to accommodate a larger rescue truck and remodeling the records area.

The general contractor will be First Construction Group in Burlington, which offered the low bid of $454,648. The county's estimate was $483,000

Construction should start this spring, said David Kempf, the county's facilities manager.

Ultimately, county officials want to build a justice center that includes jail and courtroom space to provide relief to the overcrowded jail and courthouse. But voter approval would be needed to fund the project, and even if they get that, the project is still several years away from happening.