Inflation Rates Raise Jail Cost

TV-18 Reports that every month the project is "delayed" it costs an extra 230,000 dollars. Wow. In just a few months that adds up to a MILLION DOLLARS because of poor planning.

Here's the story from their website:

Inflation Rates Could Impact Jail Project

Inflation could drive up the cost of the Eau Claire County Jail expansion project if it’s delayed.

Contractors say the rate of inflation for construction projects in this part of the country is double the national average. They say that’s due to supply and demand, in addition to increased fuel costs.

Contractors consider inflation when locking in prices for a project. However, when a project is delayed, inflation can have a major impact on additional costs.

“If you take a $10 million project, and you assume that five and a half percent is correct, it costs them about $46,000 every month that they don’t start the project,” explained Don Carlson, Vice President of Operations at Market and Johnson, the construction company that will be building the new jail.

With the current rate of inflation, Market and Johnson says the jail project could cost an extra $230,000 a month if it’s delayed. However, the company expects the rate of inflation to continue to rise, which would also increase the cost of any potential delays.

Index

Index of Jail Infomation

University Analysis of Jail Site

Visit this link to some great information compiled at UWEC.

"At the end of February, 2008, the Jail Division, National Institute of Corrections, U.S. Bureau of Prisons (NIC) released the Eau Claire County Local Justice System Assessment. The report was provided as technical assistance to the leadership of justice agencies and units of government operating the justice system within Eau Claire County, Wisconsin.

"Recommendations in the report include the need for improved public participation, better analysis of existing data, and use of UWEC expertise to analyze data. Our University, with its emphasis on faculty-student collaborative research, is ideally suited to make just such high value contributions to local environmental and social needs and issues, and many departments have already been involved in doing so.

"One example of the contribution UWEC can make to the jail issue is from Dr. Christina Hupy’s Advanced Geographic Information Systems (GIS) class, Spring 2008. In the class, geography major Beth Ellison created a series of maps that show the location of the currently proposed new jail in relation to NIC jail siting recommendations. See the maps here.

May Meetings

CAJE meeting TONIGHT!     

Monday May 5th at 7pm.

AT the  NEW LOCATION for our May meetings:

The Unitarian Church at 421 S. Farwell.  We will be meeting in the basement and the
assumption is that we enter on the side of the church.  A sign will be placed on the
entrance door with the name of our group.