BLOOMINGTON — Monroe County Commissioners voted Wednesday to delay approving a purchasing agreement for one of the potential sites of a new county jail and community justice facility.
The vote on the motion to extend the discussion passed 2-1, with Vice President Penny Githens casting the only no vote. Githens said she believed the North Park property was the most viable option because of its easy access to State Road 46 and Interstate 69.
Commissioner Lee Jones echoed Githens’ comments but voted to hold off on the agreement.
Despite repeated statements that further delays put inmates at the current jail at risk, President Julie Thomas said she wanted more information before making a final decision.
When discussing concerns raised by neighbors about the jail’s appearance and location, Githens asked whether current Bloomington residents feel unsafe walking near the existing jail on Seventh Street.
All three commissioners agreed that time is running out to make significant progress on the project. They cited concerns from Monroe County Sheriff Rueben Marté about the condition of the current jail.
As part of the motion, the board did not set a date for when the agreement could be approved.
The North Park site is the only proposed location outside city limits and is expected to cost the county just over $11 million.
One restriction on the North Park site is that the seller requires construction on a new justice center campus to begin within a year of starting construction on the new jail.
The vote comes just a week after Monroe County councilors voted to move forward with an adjusted tax rate increase to help pay for the project. Council voted 6-1 to approve an amended rate of 0.175 percent, with with Councilor Peter Iverson casting the only no vote.
Councilors originally proposed a 0.2 percent increase, which would’ve been the maximum rate that can be imposed on Monroe County residents, and up significantly from the current rate of 0.01 percent.
Under Indiana law, the council must hold another public meeting before approving changes to local income tax, and the meeting will be held Oct. 7 at 5 p.m.
The jail and possible co-justice center complex could cost upwards of $200 million.
WHERE DOES THE JAIL PROJECT STAND?
Debate over the future Monroe County Jail has been back and forth for over a year.
The jail currently operates under a 2009 settlement from a lawsuit by the ACLU, which claimed the crowded conditions at the jail are unconstitutional.
As part of the settlement, which has been extended numerous times, the county must build a new jail.
There have been countless security incidents inside the jail.
In June, two inmates already in the jail for violent crimes, were charged with escaping their cell and beating fellow inmate to the point he had to be sent to the hospital.
In September, a gas leak forced the start of the facility’s evacuation plan, putting inmates on lockdown until the leak was fixed.
In July at a joint meeting, Monroe County Sheriff Ruben Marté warned county councilors and commissioners that the jail is at it’s breaking point.
“The staff at this point is at a maximum of what they do right now, and they are tired,” Marté said. We all want a clean, safe, and humane jail.”
In May, a jail feasibility study conducted by Fishers-based engineering consulting firm, RQAW, suggested that the county build a new facility that could house 450-500 beds while also having space available for future expansion.
The current jail fits 258 beds, but after classification of inmates, puts the jail threshold at 206. The original jail capacity was 128 beds before transitioning to a double-bunk system in the 1990s.
INTIAL PLANS FOR A NEW JAIL
According to the jail feasibility report, a new Monroe County Jail would cost upwards of $99-million for design, construction, and furniture expenses. Should plans call for a facility that would also house courtrooms, the prosecutors office, and probation department, the total cost could reach upwards of $150-million.
