Weber County jail upgrade plans edge ahead, though issue not settled
Image supplied, Weber County Sheriff's Office
Plans show the existing Weber County jail footprint, in white. A proposed new medical wing is shown in yellow to the left while two new proposed jail pods are to the right, also in yellow.OGDEN — Weber County officials are moving ahead with plans to upgrade the jail, which, according to earlier estimates, could cost around $62.4 million.
Debate over the proposal is hardly over, however, and though the process is moving forward, it’s not a settled issue.
The upgrade and expansion, meant to improve the medical facilities at the jail at 1400 Depot Drive and address inmate growth, has been focus of discussion since last year. Public debate bumped up last spring but quieted over the summer amid a flurry of property tax hike proposals in numerous Weber County cities and other taxing entities, all of them approved last August. County officials have talked of seeking a bond issue to cover the cost of the jail project and, amid the debates over property taxes, didn’t want to overwhelm the public with talk of too many tax hikes.
Weber County Sheriff Ryan Arbon said Tuesday, though, that county officials have allocated $1.5 million to come up with jail designs and plans as discussion proceeds. Earlier this month, the county formally sought requests from development firms for their qualifications to handle a project like the jail expansion and then the county will seek formal proposals with price estimates.
Arbon said the county is still mulling a bond proposal, potentially to be put to a vote of the public next year, to cover at least part of the cost of the upgrade. Officials will also look into funding possibilities from the state and the feds.
A bond issue, if sought and approved by voters, could require a property tax hike to generate the needed funds. The issue would likely get plenty of discussion among officials, including Weber County commissioners, before reaching that point.
Presuming the process proceeds, jail expansion work should start in 2024, according to Arbon.
The plans, as envisioned, call for building a new jail wing to allow for the expansion of medical and mental health offerings for inmates. The plans also propose construction of two new pods southeast of the existing facility that between them could house nearly 400 inmates, on top of the current capacity of 888.
A new work-release facility is also envisioned as part of the plans.