By BRIAN WALKER

Staff Writer

COEUR d'ALENE — Kootenai County has taken the first step toward staffing the jail expansion that is expected to be completed in late 2018.

Commissioners have approved six deputy positions effective June 1, and other positions will be phased in closer to the opening.

"We will still need to hire 11 additional detention deputies, five control room operators and one maintenance operator before the expansion can be occupied," Kootenai County Sheriff's Office Capt. John Holecek said.

Construction on the expansion, which will be 20,000 square feet of finished detention space and 8,000 square feet of shelled space for future expansion, is expected to start this summer. It is preliminarily estimated to cost $10 million.

The expansion will include 122 total beds, a laundry area, indoor/outdoor recreation spaces and program rooms.

The total annual cost for the first six deputy positions is $363,534.

Commissioner Chris Fillios said the positions are dependent upon a timely start of construction. He said the positions are also not currently budgeted for and commissioners will discuss at a future meeting how they will be funded.

Commissioner Marc Eberlein said the positions needed to be approved this year because the state's law enforcement certification academy has a limited number of student slots available per year, especially when other agencies are also wanting to train new hires.

Eberlein said he believes the county has reached the critical threshold of needing a staffed jail expansion versus continuing to transport inmates out of the area due to overcrowding.

He said the county is projected to spend $900,000 on out-of-county housing this year and $1.2 million next year.

Long term, and with the area and jail population expected to increase along with the liability of transporting inmates, Eberlein said it's time to act on keeping inmates here.

"Something you can't put a number value to is what happens if there's a problem when inmates are transported and a bad guy gets loose," Eberlein said.

Eberlein said there's also a strong possibility that the county could start losing space at facilities outside the area because of those jurisdictions' own growing inmate populations.

"If we don't do something now, what happens in two years if there's no other facilities to house our inmates?" he said.

When all of the factors are considered, Eberlein said the opening of the jail expansion versus the jail's status quo situation will be about a wash cost-wise to start but will prove to be a wise long-term investment.

KCSO Undersheriff Dan Mattos said it will be a challenge hiring all of the needed positions and having them trained at the time the expansion is completed.

"By virtue of its design, the new jail must be fully staffed with the requested positions to open and operate and the sheriff has been clear in stating that he does not intend to open the jail without adequate staffing on the grounds of safety and security," Mattos said.

"To the Board’s credit, and with our recommendations, they are trying to manage the addition of these positions by phasing them in through fiscal years 2017, 2018 and possibly 2019. Just the hiring process alone can be mind-boggling given the amount of time spent in recruiting, testing and other pre-hire screening associated with personnel who are going to work in a law enforcement environment."

Shawn Riley, the county's Buildings and Grounds director, said the jail expansion contractor and architect are preparing a firm cost estimate for the commissioners to review within the next two weeks.

"Once all of that is completed, then we should be getting a building permit from the city and break ground," Riley said.

The current jail near the fairgrounds opened in 1987 with 98 beds. Through remodels, it was expanded to 127 beds. The latest addition, which opened in 2002, increased capacity to 327.