For the fourth time in ten years, the Santa Barbara County Grand Jury is ordering the demolition and reconstruction of the county coroner’s office due to health and safety risks.
During a recent visit to the facility, I found that many of the problems described in the report have been corrected, a point General Services Director Kirk Lagerquist emphasized at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting.
“The grand jury’s recommendations for repairs and inspections or renovations have been implemented,” Lagerquist said.
Since the release of the grand jury report in June, the coroner’s office now has a new roof, mold has decreased, and termite treatment has been performed. However, problems remain due to the building’s age, and grand jury reports dating back to 2015 call for a complete rebuild.
“Everyone agrees that the facility is deteriorating and needs to be replaced. You know, it may not be the first one to be replaced, but there are plans for a replacement,” Supervisor Das Williams said at Tuesday’s meeting.
Replacing the facility is part of the Calle Real master plan for a community service campus. The estimated cost is over $15 million, with construction scheduled to begin in 2039. Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Lt. Jarrett Morris agrees a complete replacement is needed, but denies safety risks.
“The report indicated that it was not safe for our staff to stay there. I cannot agree with that at all. Again, it is outdated, but we have no health problems,” he said.
Meanwhile, General Services has stated that $390,000 has been spent on improvements to the current building over the past nine years.
“It’s a very dated building. It really needs to be replaced. However, General Services has done an excellent job and has been very accommodating in meeting many of our personnel’s needs,” Lt. Morris continued.
The Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted the outlined responses to the grand jury report and stated that the County plans capital improvement projects years and decades in advance to ensure efficient and streamlined prioritization.
