By Jodi Rogstad
Wyoming Tribune-Eagle
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — As dirt work begins at the Archer Complex for a slate of sixth-penny sales tax projects, Laramie County officials are hard at work getting another project ready for construction.
The 874 acres east of Cheyenne also will include a new 24-bed, $7.5 million juvenile detention facility, much of it paid for with federal stimulus money.
The Laramie County Commission voted recently to approve a contract with Colorado firm EKM&P for $519,830. This firm was chosen because two of its principals have experience in operating and running juvenile facilities, said Laramie County Planner Gary Kranse.
Within walking distance of the new facility is the privately run Southeast Wyoming Juvenile Services Project (formerly known as the Jeffrey C. Wardle Academy), built a decade ago. That’s where young offenders are housed today under a contract with the state, county and city.
In an earlier interview, Tony Lewis, director of the Department of Family Services, said the facility was 10 years out-of-date when it opened, and it isn’t suited to separating populations of young offenders.
Lewis also had made it clear that the state would not continue to subsidize the financially struggling facility if the county commissioners chose to turn down a federal grant.
When voting to accept the grant, the commissioners all but held their noses.
But Chairman Jeff Ketcham said the current arrangement doesn’t give the county much direct control, especially of the costs. In fact, the county has backed off from the idea of having a private contractor operate it.
“What’s happening now is the private sector kind of has you over a barrel,” Ketcham said. “We’ll have control of the (new) facility. And, two, I think we can do it cheaper than the private sector.”
The county will call it a juvenile services center - a softer concept than a than the old-school juvenile lockup - with emphasis on treatment.
“Yes, some kids will come here and need to be in a hard lockup,” Kranse said. “A lot of other children need a helping hand and a place to go to get out of that rut.”
It will be open to youth from other counties, and those revenues will go right back into the maintenance of the facility, Ketcham said.
Since the county is new to running a juvenile service facility, EKM&P also will help it plan for proper staffing levels, Kranse said.
The county will have to spend the $4.6 million federal stimulus grant by the end of the 2011.
The design will have to be finished by the end of November, and the commissioners will award a construction contract by January, Kranse. The building could be ready for use by April 2012.
The county also got $880,000 in state grants and plans to bond $2.1 million to pay for the new building.
The Archer Complex is located south of the Archer exit off Interstate 80 east of Cheyenne. Laramie County bought the former Archer Extension and Research Center for $1.9 million in 2004 from the University of Wyoming.
Copyright 2010 Cheyenne Newspapers, Inc.