wfhb-new-jail-construction-scripts

8/14/2019 wfhb-new-jail-construction-scripts

1/5

FEBRUARY 8TH, 2007

LAURA P. A new bill sponsored by Indiana House Democrats may mean

that Monroe County will finally take a step forward in plans for a juvenilejustice facility. House Bill 1007 would allow counties to increase local

income taxes by up to one percent. But homeowners take note: countieswould be required to use 60 percent of the tax to alleviate local property

taxes, according to Monroe County Council President Sophia Travis. Theremaining 40 percent balance can then be applied to public safety matters.

Travis elaborates:

1 00:00:00 00:00:46 Those public safety matters..

LAURA P. Financial Solutions Group, a contractor for Monroe County,broke down the potential financial impact of HB 1007. According to FSG,

60 percent of such an increase would generate anywhere from 12 to 13.8

million in property tax relief. The remaining balance would produce 8 to9.2 million for public safety, which could include a juvenile justice

facility. Travis emphasizes that any such measure would be subject to

intense discussion and debate prior to initiating such a tax. She also

readily states that council members and county officials have beendiscussing plans and funding routes for such a facility:

2 00:00:49 1:50 And I can say that.local control

LAURA P. Any funding generated by the 40% portion would be used

towards ongoing operation, not construction, of such a facility. According

to Travis constructing a facility is much more of a short-term issue bestaddressed by bond issues:

3 1:53 2:48 The devilish part.without a tax increase

LAURA P. The County Council president said she believes the possibility

of a juvenile facility is a measure which would ultimately save taxpayersmoney, and cited a well-known saying to support her opinion. A major

concern is whether taxpayers will support this view:

4 2:50 - 3:47 As far as the taxpayers are concerned.adult correctional

services

APRIL 30TH, 2007

GARY G. The state budget for the next two years passed last night

includes above inflation spending increases for local K to 12 educationand for IU and Ivy Tech at Bloomington. The budget also allows Monroe


2/5

County to increase its income tax rate. More generally, the budget

provides funding for full-day kindergarten and financial relief for property

owners. WFHB asked Representative Matt Pierce, Democrat forBloomington to provide the details. He first described the funding to be

provided for local education provision.

Matt Pierce

0:30 (The budget that passeda new building) 1:33

GARY G. The 350 thousand dollars for the architectural study at the localIvy Tech campus should speed up construction of a new classroom facility

to serve the colleges burgeoning enrollment. The special provision of 15

million dollars to give impetus to IU Bloomingtons increased emphasison life-sciences is somewhat of a disappointment to IU administrators.

They were asking for 80 million over two years. Representative Pierce

claims that this and other budgetary disappointments were due to the needto address the looming dramatic increase in state property taxes.

2: 27 (The reason we couldnta little while) 3:32

GARY G. However, there was a tax change that should be welcomed by

local government. Local law enforcement officials and social service

agencies have long decried the lack of a juvenile justice facility in thisregion. Monroe County, the level of government that would be responsible

for building such a facility, needed an increase in county income tax to

fund such a building. The new state budget allows for such an increase.

3:33 (The other provisiondo with that) 4:12

GARY G. Representative Pierce was also disappointed that nothing was

done to move toward state provision of a universal health care.

Nevertheless, he does note that there were some positive health care

provisions in the state budget.

4:26 (The cigarette taxhealth insurance coverage) 5:51

GARY G. A bill was also passed allowing for the introduction of slot

machines at Indianas two horse-racing tracks. The money that the Statewill collect from these one-armed bandits should help provide relief fromlooming property tax increases.

OCTOBER 18TH, 2007


3/5

SB 1

CAROLYN Thats county councilman Charles Newmann

preceded in that clip by county commissioner Pat Stoffers

representing opposing points of view

on a plan to build a new county jail and juvenile facility

on the site of the former Thompson plant.

Lets hear BOTH sides of the story.

SCOTT W. Today a bipartisan coalition of Monroe County elected

officials, including members of the County Council and Board ofCommissioners, the Board of Judges, and Sheriffs Department,

announced their proposal to build a juvenile justice facility on

Bloomingtons westside that would include a new jail to replace thecurrent overcrowded building. The proposal is two-fold - the first part is a

Justice Campus within the block that currently houses the Justice

Building, Curry and Fiscus buildings. The Justice Campus would provide

space for courts, probation, and related activities, including sufficientspace for growth far into the future. The second part is a new Corrections

Campus to be built at the former Thomson property. That property was

purchased in 2000 and has been zoned for a jail and juvenile facility by the

City of Bloomington. The Corrections Campus will house juvenilefacilities for youth offenders and a new jail and facilities for the Sheriffs

Department. Lets go on-location at the county courthouse with countycouncilman Vic Kelson.

SB 2

CAROLYN Judge Ken Todd, at todays announcement of a proposal for a

new jail and a juvenile correctional center for Monroe County. County

councilman Charles Newmann says he was boxed out of todaysannouncement, although he was allowed to take the podium for a brief

formal statement.

SB 3

SCOTT W. County councilman Charles Newmann, voicing his oppositionto todays proposal to use the former Thompson site for a new jail and

juvenile facility. After the formal press event WFHB approached

Newmann for a more candid assessment of the proposal.


4/5

SB 4

CAROLYN County councilman Charles Newmann. His fellow council

representative Sophia Travis promised listeners that no moves will bemade without plenty of input from the public.

SB 5

SCOTT W. To recap, the coalition is proposing a 2-5 year development process:

Construction of a juvenile treatment and secure detention facility at the Thomson

property.

Construction of a new jail and Sheriffs facility at the Thomson property.

Renovation of the now-vacant jail and Sheriffs facility at the Justice Building for

courts, probation, and related functions.

They propose that the County Council and Board of Commissioners

approve resolutions defining the process to be used in finalizing the scopeand design of facilities, schedule, and costs of the projects. The coalition

hopes to deliver a comprehensive plan to the citizens of Monroe County in

2008.

DECEMBER 12TH, 2007

CATHI N. At last nights Monroe County Council Meeting, the Council

passed a resolution to endorse the design, development, andconstruction of a new juvenile center and expanded jail facilities on the

old Thomson/RCA property on South Rogers. The resolution calls on the

county Board of Commissioners to proceed with plans for designing andconstructing these facilities. County Council president, Michael Woods,

believes that the project is long overdue for a number of reasons:

One Monroe County has been talking hold our capacity

CATHI N. Two council members, Marty Hawk and Charles Newmann,voted against the resolution. Hawk says she did not vote for the resolutionbecause of the location of the site:

I was not in support of ever be in favor of building on that property.

CATHI N. County Council president Michael Woods defends the councils

decision to use this 85-acre site:


5/5

I think the reason it was picked taxpayers of the county. (50s)

CATHI N. While Marty Hawk agrees that there is a need for larger,

expanded juvenile facilities, she would like to see the county expandexisting facilities instead of construct new ones.

Ive been very vocal and the ground is paid for.

CATHI N. The county council has asked the Monroe County

Commissioners to proceed with planning and preparing to finance the

project.

wfhb-new-jail-construction-scripts

Documents