Lee County to pursue $1.36 million grant to demolish old jail

DIXON – The County Board is applying for a $1.36 million state grant to demolish the old jail, which would require around $340,000 in county funds if successful.

In June, the county submitted its application for a $5 million state grant to demolish the old jail and construct a new building for an emergency operations center, but the program was put on hold by the time the county applied.

The other shovel-ready grant would cover demolition, relocating utilities, and building retaining walls for the adjacent Lee County Courts Building and 911 Center, board member Dave Bowers said.

A local match of 25 percent of the project would be around $340,000, and board member Bob Olson said they would be able to cover that cost with capital funds in next year's budget.

Board member Tom Kitson said he was concerned about other costs that could be associated with demolishing the jail, such as spending thousands more to store vehicles and equipment from the Lee County Emergency Management Agency at a different location.

EMA Director Kevin Lalley said they were late on the first grant, and they should apply now rather than waiting a month on the other grant.

The board is also moving forward with creating an emergency operations center on the third floor of the Courts Building for COVID-19 response and planning.

It's an unfinished area across from the county state's attorney's office, and remodeling would cost about $254,000, Bowers said. Most of the project would likely be covered by CARES Act funding, except for around $31,000 to create a secure location for state's attorney files stored there.

Lalley said they have about $548,000 in CARES Act reimbursement funds, but expenses must be directly related to COVID-19 in order to qualify.

The goal would be to have the remodeling done by Nov. 1.