It appears there is another problem at the not-yet-opened Iowa state prison in Fort Madison, along with new concerns from legislators that the facility may sit empty for months if cost overruns are not resolved before the legislature adjourns this spring. House Oversight Committee chairman Bobby Kaufmann of Wilton has been leading the committee’s investigation of prison problems.
The prison’s opening a year ago was delayed after problems were discovered with the heating and ventilation system and with a system that is to siphon smoke out of the prison if there’s a fire. In the past week, Kaufmann has gotten confirmation from prison officials that yet another problem was discovered in December. This one is in an “energy recovery unit” that’s part of the air flow system in one of the buildings on the new prison campus.
Representative Phyllis Thede, a Democrat from Davenport, says costs keep going “up and up and up.”
The prison’s total cost has ballooned to 166 MILLION dollars. One recent estimate indicated the state would be required to come up with another seven MILLION dollars to cover the fixes, but the House Oversight Committee has uncovered new documents which indicate additional repair costs are likely.
