7/22/14 - Ground will be broken soon for the $16.7 million expansion of the Livingston County Jail, which was approved by the Livingston County Board of Commissioners Monday night. After long debate the board rejected an amendment that would establish a âprevailing wagesâ policy for all future such contracts. In addition to construction of the jail expansion, the board approved the project budget and construction contracts. The jail project is being funded through tax-exempt general obligation bonds, with a portion coming from the countyâs general fund. County Commissioner David Domas presented a proposed amendment which would eliminate prevailing wages as a requirement for any of the projectâs contractors. In government contracting, a prevailing wage is defined as the hourly wage, plus benefits and overtime, paid to the majority of workers in a particular area. Prevailing wages are set by the U.S. Department of Labor. Domas said Michigan is now a right-to-work state where no one can be forced to join a union in order to gain employment, adding, in his words, âThe prevailing wage law is in contradiction to that.â Domas said it was time to change the policy to reflect that reality. However, his amendment to the resolution ultimately failed on a split vote. A subsequent motion to approve the original resolution passed on a 6-2 vote. Board Chairwoman Carol Griffith tells WHMI she was uncomfortable with hearing the proposal for the first time before the full board - without going through committee - and she didnât want to tell the general contractor, Clark Construction Co., how to conduct its business. Domas countered that the amendment would not have prevented the contractors from hiring union employees, and therefore was not restrictive. The expansion will greatly expand the size of the jail, from its current 254 inmate capacity to a total of 411. It will have separate male and female holding and isolation areas, additional medical cells and exam rooms, an expanded pharmacy, a new triage room and an elevated control room with a clear view of cells, and expanded evidence and property rooms. The intent is to address long-standing overcrowding issues, particularly for female inmates. Construction is expected to begin in the near future with the jail addition completed by next spring. (TT)
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