Osceola County Jail Nears Structural Phase

Sibley, Iowa – After years of planning, Osceola County’s long-awaited jail addition at the Osceola County Public Safety Center is moving closer to visible construction. John Hansen of Midwest Construction Consultants reported to the County Board of Supervisors that walls for the new jail addition are tentatively scheduled to go up on November 13.

The county has been discussing improvements to the public safety center, originally built in 1907, due to numerous violations of state code. These issues have persisted for years, prompting annual inspections and repeated warnings from the State of Iowa and the state fire marshal.

“Every year, the state comes in, and they do an annual jail inspection,” said Sheriff Kevin Wollmuth. “For the last several years, we’ve been getting written up for the same things.” Deficiencies identified included:

• Incomplete hourly visual checks of inmates due to distance from the jailer station to the cells
• Non-compliance with ADA requirements, particularly stair access
• Unsafe wood paneling and steps
• Ineffective fire exit for the upstairs cell
• Limited access to the upstairs cell during medical emergencies
• Failure to meet separation standards for different inmate classifications

“There’s no certain time, but the state sooner or later is going to close it down,” Wollmuth added.

Remodeling alone was deemed insufficient, prompting the decision to construct an addition for jail cells. A design proposal from architect Rick Weidner and Hansen was approved in October 2022, and project funding was supported by over $1 million from the American Rescue Plan Act, addressing both safety and liability concerns.

Residents approved Osceola County Public Measure QP in November 2023, authorizing up to $5 million in bonds for the project. The addition was relocated from Sixth Street to the south side along Third Avenue, requiring new plans and slightly delaying progress. Rising construction costs also impacted the project, with estimates increasing from $4.8 million to $7.44 million, prompting careful cost management by the board.

“All the steel is onsite,” Hansen said. “Precast is being poured at this time. They have the interior panels, but that doesn’t do us any good without the exterior panels. Nov. 13 is when the building’s going to be up, and they anticipate about five weeks for total erection. It will go up quick once the precast goes in.”

Construction has already included underground plumbing, electrical, and gas installations, interior improvements, roof replacement, and relocation of trees and a World War I monument. Hansen also reported updates to the public safety building, including sealing basement doors, generator connections, and electrical refeeding.

Supervisor Mike Schulte and Jayson Vande Hoef raised concerns about whether the generator could support the courthouse as well. Hansen recommended evaluating a backup power source before bidding for the old generator.

The project has faced challenges including power outages, rising material costs, and winter conditions impacting concrete pouring. Engineer Keith Brann inquired about cold-weather precautions, to which Hansen confirmed that contractors are responsible for maintaining the required heat during concrete work.

“We were supposed to have precast done in September. They’re responsible for getting heat in the building which is required by this point,” Hansen said. “We don’t have any control over their subcontractors. They better hope for an easy winter.”

The Osceola County jail addition aims to modernize facilities, ensure safety compliance, and provide adequate accommodations for inmates, finally addressing decades-old structural and code deficiencies.

Originally reported by Sandra Jenson in Nwestiowa.