By ADAM STEWART

Staff writer

Marion County Commission approved and Commission Chairman Roger Fleming signed a contract with Treanor Architects P.A. on Tuesday for work on a new county jail.

The architecture firm from Topeka will be paid $250,000 for design and professional services. They will also be paid 110 percent of cost for surveying, geotechnical work, printing, and some travel. Architect Andy Pitts estimated those expenses will total $6,000 to $8,000.

The site for the jail east of the courthouse will need to be raised about 1 foot from the existing grade, Pitts said. The jail must be above the 500-year floodplain.

The commission and Sheriff Rob Craft plan to tour Anderson County Jail this week in Garnett, which Treanor Architects designed.

Temporary financing approved

The commission also voted to have bond counsel David Arteberry of George K. Baum & Company begin work on a $1 million issue of temporary notes. The purpose of the temporary financing is to allow the county to know the final construction bids before issuing long-term bonds, so the county doesn’t issue too much in bonds.

Arteberry said he originally figured $750,000 would be sufficient. However, that would have had the county issuing bonds in December, which he said is not a good time to issue bonds. By increasing the temporary financing to $1 million, the county will probably issue the bonds in early 2012. He said current interest rates are lower than projected before the April election.