Marshall County reports 30% of jail contract paid as masonry, MEP rework slow progress

County staff told the Marshall County Commission that masonry work on the new county jail is progressing but that recent cold weather has limited productivity and forced schedule adjustments. The project manager said Part A is about 70% complete, Part B about 50% and Part C about 40%, and that crews have laid roughly 100,000 concrete blocks with about 70,000 remaining.

The project team confirmed structural steel is scheduled for delivery to the site on Feb. 16, which will allow roof framing to begin in portions of the building as the masonry reaches the required elevation. Mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) contractors are working alongside masons, but staff reported coordination issues — misplaced conduits and plumbing embeds — that have required tearing out completed walls and reworking several areas. The county manager said on-site protocols have been tightened and additional inspections are being performed to catch those problems earlier.

Financially, the county said it will submit pay application No. 11 to the owner today; with that payout, total payments to the contractor stand at $10,158,333.55, roughly 30% of the project budget. Staff reported 17 requested change orders totaling $148,782.49, of which $144,390.49 have been approved; one remaining change order is under review with the architect and is likely to be denied because it reduces scope while seeking additional compensation.

Commissioners pressed staff to continue close review of percent complete versus payments before authorizing further draws and to maintain the new inspection protocols to limit rework. The project manager said those checks — including more frequent on-site coordination — are already in place.

The commission did not take any additional formal action on the item at the meeting; staff will proceed with the pay application submittal and continue monitoring site coordination and schedule.