News : Jail nearing completion; entrance to include flood reminder

The bunks in one of the prison cell areas; the jail will hold 32 inmates.

Tables have been installed in the cells.

The view from 911 center

Stone from the old LEC lines the foundation and wheelchair ramp.

The EMA operations center has steel windows to protect from tornadoes.

Project Manager Jerry Petermeir stands in the booking area.

Jerry Petermeier stands on the steps of the new LEC, at the level of the 2008 flood.

The prisoners visiting room

Workers tested the sprinkler system to 200 psi this week.

This line marks the level of the record 2008 flood; the new building is more than a foot higher.

When you walk up the concrete stairs into the new Benton County Law Enforcement Center, stop at the second step from the top.

When you do, your feet will be at about the same level as the water that made the new building necessary. A few feet to the west of those stairs is a block of stone from the old LEC, and a line engraved in the rock. That line indicates the 24.7 feet flood level of the Cedar River three summers ago.

County officials are planning a June 11 open house to celebrate the completion of the building. That date, June 11, 2011, is exactly three years after the flood that destroyed the former LEC began.

The original completion date was scheduled for May 1, but the county has granted an extension to May 29. FEMA's deadline is June 30; Auditor Jill Marlow reminded the supervisors of that deadline during their meeting on Tuesday morning.

Petermeier discussed the project with the supervisors. From the beginning, it's been the job of the retired county engineer to make sure the contractors fulfill their obligations to the county. He has nothing but praise for those getting the job done.

"When they put the plaque on the wall, they should put Travis James' name there," said Petermeier. James is the job foreman for Kleiman Construction of Cedar Rapids, the main contractor. "Travis is the one who gets it done."

Petermeier walked through the LEC after the meeting, greeting the workers by name. He said the project has gone so smoothly because of the skill of those workers.

There have been two setbacks in the building process. Some of the windows had to be replaced because they did not have the proper type of reflective glass. And the original plans failed to include some wiring for the 911 room, and part of the concrete floor had to be removed to correct that problem.

Petermeier said he could not predict when the job would be finished, but he has confidence in the workers and their ability to meet the deadline.