Design work for potential Prenger Center remodel approved

Prenger Family Center is located at 400 Stadium Blvd.
Prenger Family Center is located at 400 Stadium Blvd.

The Cole County Commission has approved a $16,500 contract with Architects Alliance to do design work on a potential remodel of the Prenger Center.

"This would give us an idea of what it would cost to make sure we are in compliance for now and into the future," Cole County Presiding Judge Jon Beetem said.

The center, located on Stadium Boulevard, serves as the juvenile detention facility for Cole County. Prenger Director Tobie Meyer said Cole County, as a first-class county, is required by state statute to have a detention facility.

The young people served in the detention unit are primarily juveniles who commit acts that if committed by adults, would be crimes. As part of the restorative justice process, many of the residents are assigned community service.

A change in law took effect last year, which raised the age of the youth the center deals with from 17 to 18.

Missouri had to abide by federal legislation passed in 2018 requiring youth held in adult jails -- including those charged as adults -- be removed to juvenile detention centers by Dec. 21, 2021.

During budget discussions in the past couple of years, Prenger officials told the commission the county could be faced with spending an extra $26,000-$30,000 a year at other facilities to meet new requirements for detention space. Meyer told commissioners Tuesday those other facilities do not exist thanks to the new requirements and staffing issues at facilities across the state.

Prenger, built in 1994, is good for short-term stays, not long-term stays, as they currently are a six-bed facility.

The expansion plans Prenger officials would like to pursue include adding beds on their secure and non-secure sides of the building, adding an enclosed sallyport to bring youth in and out of the center, a visitation room, exercise area and nurse station.

As they look at what it could cost to make these improvements, County Auditor Kristen Berhorst recommended they go ahead and set aside some of the county's portion of the federal American Rescue Plan for COVID-19 relief for county internal needs. The issue of housing youth in a cramped facility could qualify the project for ARP funds.

In other action Tuesday, the commission authorized the county EMS to purchase 11 new ventilators for ambulances at a cost of $200,600. EMS Chief Eric Hoy said they found during the pandemic they needed the ventilator upgrade to treat people during transport to hospitals and these new apparatus are more capable of providing breath-to-breath treatment. Hoy said, for now, they'll be able to pay for these out of the contingency funds in the EMS budget.

See also:

Cole County advances cooperative Greenway extension project