Polk County approves up to $1.5M for jail cell renovations, authorizes sole‑source contract language

Polk County commissioners on May 7 approved a Finance Committee recommendation to allocate up to $1,500,000 from the landfill fund balance to renovate jail cells at the Polk County Jail.

The board also authorized the chairman to sign an agreement, acceptable to county administration, with SteelCo Services in a not‑to‑exceed amount of $1,358,259 to complete renovations on seven pods based on a per‑pod sole‑source price of $194,037. County staff said the total request includes anticipated county responsibilities such as utility connections and other ancillary work and that the amount represents a worst‑case scenario.

The county packet describes SteelCo Services as a sole‑source provider because of a proprietary paint and primer formula the company guarantees. County officials told commissioners they are negotiating contract language to return savings to the county if the actual scope requires less work than estimated.

The Finance Committee noted the per‑pod proposal was based on a single‑provider recommendation and that jail personnel are exploring lower‑cost lighting and shower curtain products that could reduce overall costs. The board approved both the allocation from the landfill fund and authorization for the chairman to sign the agreement; motions passed unanimously.

Next steps: county administration will finalize the agreement with SteelCo and return any required documentation to the chairman for signature. The board did not set a construction start date at the meeting.