By Gregg Hennigan
The Gazette
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — There are just too many unknowns surrounding the project, which would include jail and court space, they said.
“Right now we don’t know the location, we don’t know the cost, we don’t know how we’re going to pay for it,” said Bob Elliott, coordinator of the county’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee.
That committee held a joint meeting with the Board of Supervisors on Wednesday. The timeline came up during a discussion on whether to hire a firm to gauge whether there’s public support for a justice center. A decision was delayed, but there seemed to be interest in doing public opinion polling at some point.
The current 92-bed jail is constantly overcrowded, with Johnson County paying to house its inmates in other counties. The courthouse is more than 100 years old.
A preliminary design for the justice center calls for a jail that can hold 240 inmates, with room to grow, and for 10 to 12 courtrooms. The courthouse would be renovated and kept in use.
While other questions remain, the supervisors have zeroed in on a preferred location, which is land south of the existing courthouse. The federal government owns the property, but Supervisor Pat Harney said negotiations are going well.
The county also has a cost estimate for the project: at least $61.2 million. How to pay for the facility remains the biggest unanswered question. A bond issue or a 1 percent local-option sales tax are possibilities; both would require voter approval.
Copyright 2009 The Gazette