Continual scrutiny of plans for a new Vigo County jail benefits the community, even as the process moves forward.
The county commissioners faced a fresh round of questions from a citizens group last week. Their concerns dealt with the new jail’s design, a topic illuminated during a local presentation by a county sheriff from Michigan a few days earlier. Saginaw County Sheriff William Federspiel spoke at the Vigo County Public Library about his community’s plan for a new jail. Saginaw will build a larger jail for $26 million less than Vigo County’s plan, and will use property adjacent to its current jail.
Members of the Citizens for Better Government in Vigo County asked local commissioners about the cost difference. The group also wanted assurances that the commissioners had studied procedures used and building costs at other communities’ jails. The goal, members said, was to get the best jail for the lowest cost.
Commission President Brad Anderson and Commissioner Judith Anderson cited some distinctions — Vigo’s project includes more than just a jail, and construction costs have risen since the Michigan jail project prices were secured in 2017. Those points are worth considering. Then the commission president described a comparison of the Saginaw and Vigo projects as “apples to oranges.”
The two projects have unique elements and some different requirements. But Michigan isn’t Czechoslovakia. It’s two miles north of Elkhart. Vigo Countians, including the commissioners, can learn from relevant parallels between the local jail needs and those in Saginaw.
And, questioning by residents and taxpayers throughout the multiyear process to replace the undersized, constitutionally challenged existing jail has not unnecessarily delayed the work. If the commissioners had initially asked the community to assess the needs for a new jail, instead of reluctantly allowing the public to weigh in later, the process would have been smoother.
When the citizens group met with commissioners last Tuesday, the newest of the three commissioners, Brendan Kearns, told the group he still believes the best site for Vigo’s jail is adjacent to the current jail, rather than the chosen site near Honey Creek Mall. That said, Kearns acknowledged the county is “past that point” for a new jail design.
Indeed, the County Council has already approved the $510,800 purchase of the 22-acre site of a former golf course near the mall. Also, the Terre Haute City Council has approved rezoning of that site. Those moves fulfilled an order by U.S. Chief District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson for the county to select a jail site by May. The judge also ordered monthly progress reports from the county. The situation drew federal oversight years ago after inmates filed lawsuits related to overcrowding.
Even at this point, with such impetus behind the project, continued scrutiny has merit. Kearns, whom voters elected last November in a countywide shakeup, said jail construction costs could come in lower than expected. The plan, as of mid-May, called for a 501-bed, 140,000-square-foot jail at an estimated price of $64 million for construction and approximately $100 million with financing included.
Public forums, Kearns said, have resulted in a better project. Residents should continue to push the County Council to trim the cost of the plan during each step. Citizens deserve assurance that the jail is not being overbuilt beyond necessity to house Vigo County offenders, or to become a regional jail.
Elected officials have a responsibility to heed the community’s viewpoints and concerns.
Questions may rankle officeholders, but those inquiries also result in wiser, more appropriate decisions.
© 2024 Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.