Tahlequah Daily Press

November 6, 2009

Contractor wins bid for new jail building

By BOB GIBBINS

A Tahlequah contractor was awarded the bid Thursday for a 30-foot by 50-foot metal building to be constructed at the Cherokee County Detention Center.

John Green was the lowest of four bidders when documents were opened at the Cherokee County Governmental Building Authority meeting. Green’s $24,496.70 bid was nearly $5,000 less than Cherokee Custom Construction’s bid of $29,290. Morehead Construction and Builders Unlimited were the other bidders.

The building, when constructed, will house CCDC vehicles and those seized by the sheriff’s office.

CCGBA members also approved a resolution that will allow CCDC Administrator Loyd Bickel to make the call on employees’ safety performance incentive awards for 2009.

The action was similar to one approved by the county board of commissioners earlier this week.

Nick Southerland presented a brief audit report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2009, on behalf of Alan Chapman. Southerland told the board no problems were found with CCGBA finances.

Bickel offered an administrator’s report, saying the inmate population was at 95 Thursday morning. Eight inmates are women and two have immigration holds. Fourteen have been sentenced to the Department of Corrections.

Board members also approved an annual agreement between the CCGBA and Cherokee Nation for housing prisoners. The CN pays $42 per day per inmate.

What’s next

The next regular meeting of the Cherokee County Governmental Building Authority will be Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 9 a.m. in the conference room at the Cherokee County Detention Center.