KAYENTA, AZ – David N. Sloan met Wednesday, February 3rd with key players at the Kayenta Town Hall Conference Room to discuss the detailing of the final planning and design met for the 64-bed jail facility that is scheduled to be built as the Kayenta Detention and Holding Facility.  Local service providers, the architect David Sloan, Public Safety-Corrections Director Delores Greyeyes, Kayenta Township staff, and others involved in the detention facility project met to agree on overall comprehensive design.

The group that was present focused on how the building would be used on a day-in and day-out basis.  Under book-length provisions stated in the $30 million dollar U.S. Department of Public Safety grant, the final design and purpose of the building has to meet criteria both as a public safety building as well as a rehabilitation building.

In the attempt to provide space and security for counseling services, police department offices, training rooms, conference rooms, and even a space for sweat lodges (for in-mates), architect David Sloan mulled questions he threw out to the meeting participants.  “I have to take into consideration a lot of individual and group spaces for this facility,” he said.  “How can the design of space accommodate both security and privacy measures that are often important to the design of such a building?” he asked.

As the group mulled their options, it was suggested that in the preliminary stages, a lot of open space be considered with movable walls.  At a later time, daily users of the building will learn the best ways to use the space inside the facility and the necessary changes can be made at that time.

At this point, the 26,500 sq ft building design is scheduled to include:  1)  Standard sized offices for ranking officers; 2)  space for counseling;  4)  Short-term segregated male/female holding facility;  5)  Long-term separate male/female holding facility;  6) large open work space or area;  7)  space for Correction Staff;  8)  Fitness and Training Room;  9)  Kitchen;  10)  Privacy Rooms; 11)  Peace-Making Room; and 12)  Should the building be connected to the Court?

A lot of consideration will go into accommodating professional staff who will use the building on a continuous but part time basis, which includes people like the  Department of Behavioral Health Services and social service workers.  The challenge is to provide security, privacy, and safety for all the people who will use the building.  Police officers also have to be able to come and go with various exits and entrances.

“We will have inmates coming in to be detained, and inmates who are leaving.  At  the same time, we have to have a police department that can respond to public service as well as emergencies,” said Public Safety Director Delores Greyeyes.

Based on what was all taken into consideration at the Wednesday meeting, architect David N. Sloan will include these additional items to work on as a part of his contract:

_ Building Information Modeling (BIM)
- A Male and Female Hogan
- Sweat Lodge.  (Note:  both the Hogan and Sweat Lodge need to be specified in designs).
- Medical Treatment area within the facility
-  Work Release program
-  The revision of the current master plan to relocate court facility next to the police department.
-  Landscaping
-  Storage Space
-  Program Space

Community Development Director, Gabriel Yazzie, included in his report that “currently David Sloan and Scott House are working on getting an RFP sent out for a Project Manager.”  This project is moving forward quickly and we aniticipate on hiring a Project Manager by late February or early March.”