Name: Alameda County mismanaged jail projects, potentially costing millions, grand jury finds
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Alameda County mismanaged jail projects, potentially costing millions, grand jury finds

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By | Bay Area News GroupOAKLAND — The mismanagement of improvements and upgrades to Alameda County facilities, including the jail, delayed projects that have cost the county millions, according to a grand jury report.Delays got so bad at one point that the frustrated sheriff’s office went to Costco to purchase their own video security system, and installed it themselves in the jail.Alameda County’s civil grand jury released a report Monday on its investigation into the county’s General Services Agency (or GSA). The GSA is responsible for maintaining all county-owned buildings, and planning, designing and contracting county-own buildings in capital improvement projects.The grand jury, in its annual tour of the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, found that some projects have been in the works for more than a decade, but had been stalled because of delays — with costs skyrocketing. The grand jury’s investigation focused on three projects at Santa Rita Jail: a security system and video upgrade, ADA improvements, and a new mental health and medical building.The jail’s security system upgrade began in 2008 but construction is still not complete 12 years later, and the grand jury said the video and camera system is long past the end of its useful life. Things came to a head in 2016: &nbsp;Sheriff’s deputies were accused of , or throwing of fecal matter and fluid at other inmates, and the sheriff himself demanded GSA expedite the project.Sgt. Ray Kelly, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office, confirmed the purchase of retail cameras from Costco, which members of the office installed themselves. The cameras, which were cost-effective, he said have been a “tremendous asset” and were a way to meet demands and general officer safety. They are still in use today.He said the county has a process for bidding, awarding a contract and purchasing items that can be “cumbersome” and take time. “The cameras are an example of getting innovative in the interim and putting a system in place, while being mindful of taxpayer money,” Kelly said.In 2008, the security upgrades were estimated to cost $24 million. But the cost rose when the project didn’t proceed as planned, up 40% to $33.7 million today. It wasn’t until six months ago, in December, that a construction contract was finally approved for the upgraded system.Past problems included a GSA staff member inappropriately communicating with applicants during the bidding process, and the agency attempting to combine the improvements with other jail projects but then backtracking, according to the grand jury.“Given the urgent need for the security improvements, it is irresponsible for GSA to have allowed this project to languish for so long, with numerous starts and stops and little real progress for over a decade,” the report states.The report blames the delays on poor training and practices. When leadership was needed, managers didn’t take on responsibility and as costs increased, were reluctant to go back to the board of supervisors to ask for more money.As part of a 2016 lawsuit settlement, the county also agreed to make $21.6 million in improvements to Santa Rita Jail for improved accessibility for those with disabilities. Although it was supposed to be completed by December 2019, the report said there is now no definitive timeline for project completion. The grand jury called the project “rife with miscommunication and poor project management decisions.”The grand jury found that at some point, a portion of the project was actually built, but then had to be torn out because of design issues. A contractor for these buildings was supposedly told not to speak with any sheriff’s office employees if they asked about the building requirements meeting jail standards.For the jail’s mental health and medical building, the jail was awarded a 2015 grant that would help pay for 88% of the $61.6 million project. The buildings would include an obstetrics/gynecology medical facility, inmate counseling, and behavioral and medical health care services, and even classrooms for inmate re-entry services.But the project “lost focus” because of project manager turnover at GSA and a lack of continuity, the report said.Recommendations to improve the GSA department include: improving communications with clients, establish well-defined policies and procedures to guide staff work for capital project development, and update and complete a long-range master plan.GSA did not respond to a request for comment.We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. 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By | Bay Area News GroupOAKLAND — The mismanagement of improvements and upgrades to Alameda County facilities, including the jail, delayed projects that have cost the county millions, according to a grand jury report.Delays got so bad at one point that the frustrated sheriff’s office went to Costco to purchase their own video security system, and installed it themselves in the jail.Alameda County’s civil grand jury released a report Monday on its investigation into the county’s General Services Agency (or GSA). The GSA is responsible for maintaining all county-owned buildings, and planning,...

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Angela Ruggiero

Winner of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting. See the latest news from throughout the East Bay, including Contra Costa and Alameda counties.

Alameda County mismanaged jail projects, potentially costing millions, grand jury finds

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