Long-term Planning
- A new juvenile detention facility has been talked about for a very long time. We need to actively pursue “saving” for this project.
- We have completed a feasibility study of our current jail facility to build both the juvenile section as well as an adult section. This was completed by DLZ in May of 2015 and that report is attached.
- We should also create a fund for “public safety emergencies”. This would allow public safety (Sheriff’s Office, Health Department, Probation, Prosecutor, EMA, Etc.) to utilize those funds at the Commissioners and County Councils direction in case of the following:
- Natural disaster
- Hazmat incidents
- Public Health emergency (HIV Outbreak)
- Major failure on a piece of equipment that is public safety related
- Another issue facing our county is the lack of an animal control officer. Two concerns that need to be cleared up for the possibility of hiring an animal control officer. Keep in mind that this would have to be a joint partnership with the Humane Society of Boone County.
- Can this be funded under LIT?
- Has the Humane Society of Boone County located a building to house these animals?
As we look at the financial stability of our county over the next several years I believe that this long term plan would allow us to plan for any future issues that may face public safety.
My recommendations would be to fund these as follows:
These lines would all fall under the Public Safety LIT Fund
· Jail and Juvenile Detention Building Line: $250,000.00 per year (Will be funded in December from LIT funds)
· Public Safety Emergency Fund: $100,000.00 per year (Will be funded in December from LIT funds)
· Begin funding an animal control officer part time in 2017. This will give us some data to review before committing to a full time position. $30,000.00 in 2017 (Currently working on the legalities and an Animal Control Ordinance with Bob Clutter – We anticipate this being a full time position beginning in 2018)