Part 1:
Justice Center on Nov. 2 ballot
By GARRETT NEESE, DMG Writer
POSTED: October 18, 2010
HOUGHTON - Houghton County voters will decide in November whether to approve the construction of a combination jail, sheriff's department and district court across the street from the current courthouse.
Under the proposal, the county would levy up to $15 million in taxes over no longer than 30 years to pay for the construction of a two-floor facility to the west, to be called the Houghton County Justice Center.
County officials say the new structure will be more efficient, and is necessary to replace what have become outmoded and outdated facilities; the jail and sheriff's department building date back to 1963, and was last renovated in the 1980s.
"It's been at capacity for several years now, and it's just getting worse," Houghton County Sheriff Brian McLean said of the jail. "We've lost the ability to put people where we want to put them."
According to county figures, the owner of a home of average value ($75,412) would pay an extra $33.91 per year in taxes. The levy would start off at 1.3 mills in 2011, dropping to an average of .9929 mills over the 30 years.
A citizen committee group began meeting last year to determine the location and components of the new facility. The group settled on the location for reasons including its closeness to the courthouse and a state law requiring the district court and sheriff's department to be in the county seat.
The land was the site of the former Houghton High School building and now also houses the Pewabic Street Community Garden. If the building is approved, plans call for the garden to be relocated to the western edge of the land.
The proposal has drawn criticism from some Houghton County residents concerned about building such a large facility in a residential neighborhood. Some have suggested alternate ideas, such as moving the jail to Camp Kitwen or building a new complex on a non-residential site.
"It's difficult for me to imagine how a large urban jail fits inside a livable community," said Houghton resident George Dewey. "It doesn't make sense."
A previous proposal combining the jail and sheriff's department, also located across Dodge Street from the courthouse, was voted down in 2000.
In the current plan, the sheriff's department and jail would be located on the main floor.
The county can currently hold 54 inmates - 28 at the jail and 26 at a work camp located at the airport.
That amount would more than double at the new facility to 110 beds. Of those, 80 would be for jail inmates and 30 for the work camp.
The committee based the number on projections done by national jails consultant Rod Miller, who factored in population growth, peaking and classification factors, and the possibility of the state releasing prison inmates.
The jail would be built two stories high on a single level, which would allow the cells to be stacked and controlled from one control booth.
The 97th District Court would be on the east end of the upper level. The space would triple the square footage from 400 square feet to 1,200 square feet.
Prisoners would be brought from a secure elevator from the jail to a holding room. In the current building, prisoners are brought up through the same hallway, and sit in a mixed area in the courtroom.
"A state inspector came here and said, 'This is probably the worst court we've ever seen,'" Judge Mark Wisti said.
The lower level would include a secure parking garage and elevator for staff from the court and the sheriff's office.
Commissioner Anton Pintar said if the proposal is voted down, it will probably be 10 years or longer before the county tackles the problem again.
"At this point, the county board would probably do nothing," he said. "All we could do was just limp along. I'm afraid sooner or later there'll be a major event that will force us to build a new jail. Contrary to what some people think, there is no cost-effective alternative."
Garrett Neese can be reached at gneese@mininggazette.com.
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