Part 3:
New district court, sheriff’s department part of plan
By GARRETT NEESE, DMG Writer
POSTED: October 20, 2010
HOUGHTON - A new district court and sheriff's department are part of a proposal for a new justice center to be built across the street from the current courthouse.
The proposal on the Nov. 2 ballot would authorize the county to borrow up to $15 million for up to 30 years. The owner of a home with a fair market value of $100,000 would pay an average of $33.91 per year.
An estimated 1.2956 mills would be levied in 2011; that number would then decrease in subsequent years.
The new district court would be on the second floor of the Justice Center complex, with space in line with state standards. An elevator would bring inmates from the jail to a holding area, which the existing court does not have.
The District Court accounts for about 80 percent of court appearances, said Sheriff Brian McLean.
The district court offices, now in the courthouse, are 400 square feet, a third of the state standard.
Defendants and the public enter the courtroom through the same entrance, which is at the end of the narrow hallway.
"The hallway's so backed up you have to push your way through," Judge Mark Wisti said.
Much of the time, the district courtroom is standing room only. The cramped space also extends to the office area.
"The office space for the civil and the criminal are literally 3 feet from each other, and a lot of the civil litigants don't feel comfortable around the criminal litigants," Wisti said.
Wisti said the new district court offices would be a "500 percent improvement."
"I don't think you'd be able to compare them," he said.
The sheriff's department would be on the main floor of the facility, along with jail administration.
The expanded space would provide more room for workers and improve accessibility for the public.
Handicapped access to the sheriff's office now requires going more than 200 feet from the main entry.
From 1963 to 1980, the sheriff's department building was the personal residence for the sheriff and his family; closet railings are still visible by the shelves in McLean's office.
Spaces serve multiple functions. The same room is used as a conference room, interview room, lunch room, armory, equipment storage and sometimes as an evidence room.
The repurposing of a residential space has created some tight fits. The undersheriff's office is in the former third bedroom; a desk stretches much of the width. The captain's office was made out of the former outside entrance; a former inmate who was a mason was put to work building two block walls and a heated floor.
"We've used up pretty much every foot," McLean said.
The number of employees exceeds the locker space. A mismatched assortment of surplus lockers is tucked away in the downstairs in what used to be the lineup room; down the hall, a detective's office is also used for storage.
"It's all we've got, so we use it," McLean said.
Wisti has gone to several presentations on the proposal. He said by the end, the public's reception to the idea is usually warmer.
"I think there's a common awareness in the community that there's a problem and something has to be done about it," Wisti said. "Win or lose, I think we've done that."
For more information on the Houghton County Justice Center proposal, go to www.houghtoncounty.net. For more information from residents opposing the plan, go to www.houghtoncountyjusticecenter.com. To read the regional jail and facility re-use study, go to www.upcap.org.
Garrett Neese can be reached at gneese@mininggazette.com.
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