OK County Commissioner warning OKC City Council if jail site is not approved, it will cost the county millions
OKLAHOMA COUNTY (KFOR) - An Oklahoma County Commissioner is pleading for the Oklahoma City Council to give the greenlight for plans to build a new Oklahoma County Jail in Southeast Oklahoma City. He says if they don’t, it could cost the county millions.
Oklahoma County Commissioner Brian Maughan says if the Oklahoma City Council downvotes the chosen property, they are at risk of losing $50 million in ARPA funds they hope to use to build a new mental health facility right next to the new jail.
“If a number of these individuals have to be taken back and forth to an offsite mental health facility, it would add to that cost... That’s why I'm pleading with the City Council. It's essential that they see this site through. I just don't see any reason that they have really to block it other than it just being purely political. It meets the checklist on all the things we set out and the criteria,” said Brian Maughan, Oklahoma County Commissioner, district 2.
Oklahoma County Commissioner Brian Maughan who was just re-elected to serve another four years on the board says the Oklahoma City Council’s support to build the jail at East Grand and SE 15th Street is essential to not only moving forward with the jail process, but without approval, they will lose the ability to build a new mental health facility next door to the chosen jail site.
“The $50 million of ARPA funds has to be expended by the end of 2026, but it has to be encumbered, which means to be earmarked by the end of 2024. So, you can't enter into a contract. A construction company that's reputable won't go into it saying at a point we're going to be able to get this done by the end of 2026, even if it's done plenty in time before the earmark deadline closes by the end of this year,” said Maughan.
Maughan says not only will they lose funds, but also time, as they will be back to square one looking for new suitable properties.
“Not only is it another time lapse, but by the time it takes to go negotiate with that new property owner, come to a settlement price, buy it, then you're going to have to go and start remediating those problems before construction. And so it will really be a major setback on the timeline,” said Maughan.
“My response back to that is you've been irresponsible,” said Gina Standridge, Mid-Del School Board member.
But those who oppose the site are pleading for the City Council to downvote the request.
“It has negative impacts on Crooked Oak and Del City, which other sites have come off the list for that very same reason... It is going to deplete the area and I'm sorry they're going to lose those funds, but they can go on and build that mental health facility somewhere, anywhere and not lose those funds? said Standridge.
Gina Standridge, a Mid-Del School board member points the finger back at commissioners blaming them for the time crunch. She says if it weren’t for not having any backup plans, they wouldn't be in this situation.
“The airport was their first choice and they put all their eggs in one basket with that, and they didn't look at any other sites during that whole time. And they knew the airport location that the trust wasn't real happy with that... So, they wasted all of that time there. Again, they should have tested other sites on the list so that they had backup choices. I mean, they didn't do anything during that whole time. That was months. I mean, they have put themselves in this predicament because they haven't been a cohesive unit. They've not been on the same page through this whole process,” said Standridge.
This Thursday, the rezoning request will be presented to the Oklahoma City Planning Commission. If it is approved, it will then go to the OKC City Council. That vote will likely take place sometime in May.
Meanwhile, commissioners say they are working on backup plans. Right now, they are drilling at other proposed sites if all else fails.