Posted: 3/28/06
CJC project questioned
By David Heiller
Argus News Staff
County commissioners answered more questions about the proposed criminal justice center at their March 20 meeting.
Nancy Braaten, Bob Klug, Cathy Krupa, and Peggy Perry were allowed 15 minutes by the board for their queries. Perry asked most of the questions. Here are some of them.
What will the top floor of the courthouse be used for? This hasnít been determined, but it probably will not be fully utilized right away, Ann Thompson said. Offices that are located elsewhere like U of M Extension Service, Soil and Water Conservation District, and Farm Services Administration could use it.
Is the cost of remodeling the current court offices included in the plan? No, but there wonít be a substantial changes there, Kevin Kelleher said. The county board might use the current courtroom for its meeting room.
How will the CJC be funded and do you know the annual cost? It will be funded through bonding, and the annual cost isnít known yet. Dave Corcoran said he thinks the estimated cost of $15.7 million is a worse-case scenario.
Will the project cash flow out (be self-supporting)? Itís not a business that is selling a project, Kelleher said, and the cash flow process doesnít really apply. The board is trying to make it as efficient as possible, Larry Graf said. Building it the wrong way will take twice as much money to run it because of extra staff involved, Dave Corcoran said.
Klug asked if the board planned to use eminent domain to take needed properties. Kelleher did not answer the question, saying he already answered it at a public meeting on March 16. (At that session, Kelleher said the county would not rule out using eminent domain.)
Klug also asked if there would be an outdoor recreation area with the new jail? ìItís figured in the plan,î he said. Thompson and Graf said there would not be an outdoor recreation area in the new jail.
Kelleher responded to comments Krupa made on March 16 that she felt in the dark about the project. He said he had found 131 references to the project in the countyís board minutes since 2004. The minutes are published in all four county newspapers, he said.
On a related subject, Bob Lemke asked the board to make a decision soon if it plans to build the CJC to the north. He owns Caledonia Oil, and has grant money available to upgrade the business. Two of the options that the board is considering would put the building where his business is located. ìIím sure glad itís your job and not mine,î Lemke said.
Other business
ï Bids approved: The board approved two bids at the meeting. One was from Crysteel Truck Equipment, Lake Crystal, Minnesota, for a hook lift that will be installed on a new truck and used at recycling centers. The cost is $37,979.
The other bid was for new Global Positioning System equipment for $39,407 from Frontier Precision of Bloomington, Minnesota. It will be used by primarily by the county surveyor and highway departments. It is wireless, and will be able to access Russian satellite as well as new satellites that will be operational soon, county surveyor Dick Walter said.
ï Highway letter: The board approved a letter that county engineer Tracey VonBargen wrote. It asked the state legislature to maintain the current moratorium on changes to the current truck size and weight laws until the 2009 session.
ï Drug free coalition: The board approved a memorandum of understanding between the Drug Free Coalition and Houston County for a five year grant worth $100,000 per year.
Dave Corcoran said he didnít like the fact that part of the money would go for administrative costs. Kelleher said he would like to existing programs administer the grant, such as community education, rather than hiring a new administrator.
ï Recorder reports: County recorder Bev Bauer told the board that her office is using money from the technology fund to convert 40 years worth of microfilm documents of deeds, mortgages, and anything else filed to computer images. It will be helpful because most lenders like to look back at titles for that length of time, Bauer said.
ï Support for telemedicine project: The board approved a letter to Fairview-University of Minnesota Telemedicine Network project at the request of public health director Linda Grupa. Grupa has been working on bringing telehealth program to the county, which would be used in working with jail inmates.
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