ALPENA — It will be more than a year before there is significant progress in the construction phase of the new Alpena County Jail, but a lot of work is being done in designing the new facility.

According to Sheriff Steve Kieliszewski, the architectural firm and his office are spending a lot of time reviewing procedures at a jail, so it can be built to run efficiently. He said things like inmate movements, kitchen operations, office management and other aspects of day-to-day operations at the jail will be reviewed and the building designed on how best to carry them out.

“The amount of detail being put into this is incredible,” Kieliszewski said. “They are going through the design room by room and we are very pleased right now with what is being done and what it means for the facility itself.”

Kieliszewski said when the new jail and office is done, it is important the design help police officers deliver and process people and quickly get them back on patrol. He said the longer it takes for deputies to book a person, the more time it takes away from helping others who need it.

“We want to be able to get them in and out as fast as possible,” he said. “Some of the things we will begin implementing now, so they are used to the process and know what is going on before the new jail opens.”

As the design plans continue to be made, the county is inching closer to hiring a project manager for the project. Kieliszewski said there were five companies that responded to the request for proposal issued by the county and each was asked some basic questions and able to ask the county questions about the project. Kieliszewski said each company can now submit proposals which are due on May 15 and then interviews will be on May 30. Kieliszewski will make a recommendation to the board of commissioners and then one of the managers should be hired.

Kieliszewski said making sure the jail is designed right and constructed properly is important for current and future employees and inmates. He said it will need to last many years and by making sure the design fits the needs is critical.

“There is a flow to everything we do there and we don’t want the flow to get interrupted,” he said. “We’ll be in this building for the next 40 or 50 years, so we will build it the right way.”

Steve Schulwitz can be reached via email at sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5689. Follow Steve on Twitter ss_alpenanews.