New jail sites get more scrutiny

Planning for a new county jail, although slow and methodical, is getting closer to a decision on site and building design. The Carlton County jail steering committee and the property management department headed by county coordinator Dennis Genereau have recommended the green site as the preferred building site.

The “green site” is a forested area north and northeast of the current Carlton County Transportation complex on Old Highway 61. The area set for soil borings and water table issues is in an area that was once the Northern Pacific borrow pit, and its material was used to construct the railbed west in the 1870s. Most of the area involved is covered with an evergreen forest, and thus is the green site. The county owns the property.

Paul Coughlin, the current Carlton County jailer, explained at a special Committee of the Whole meeting Monday, May 17 that it is cheaper to study just one site, especially when the “brown site” north of the courthouse has limited space and would require the purchase of additional land. The Carlton County commissioners have yet to vote on the location.

Specific points that would be costly to solve with the site north of the courthouse:

1. At least two outcroppings would have to be removed.

2. The proposed jail/justice center complex could cover an area larger than the existing parking lot.

3. With limited space there is little room for building materials, supplies, construction cranes, construction personnel, and a route for construction trucks, to name a few.

4. The use of the current highway west of the courthouse parking lot would be closed for unknown periods and an alternate route established.

5. Little room for expansion for future needs.

6. Disruption of the regular county staff duties during construction in both the courthouse and the current jail.

7. A need for replacing the site now used as the parking lot, with an estimated 125 to 150 parking slots.

8. Unknown costs of what exists under the current parking lot; e.g., it is estimated the WLSSD line under the area, running diagonally, would have to be moved at a cost of about $750,000. Contaminated soils also could be an issue.

Overall, the “brown site” could add millions in cost to a jail/justice center proposal before even one wall is put up.

On the other hand, there are some costs to consider for a “green site” proposal:

1. Some changes for traffic on and off Hwy 210 would need to be made if a new justice center were built at that site. A roundabout has been mentioned as a possibility.

2. The water from Twin Lakes Township’s new waterline would probably not provide enough pressure for fire response. A possible tank and pump proposal would cost between $125,000 and $150,000.

There is plenty of room in the green space to have a ground-source heat pump system and possible solar grid. Building there would entail less construction since the evergreen forest would shield the building from the highway.

The jail portion of the construction calls for an 80-bed facility with 16 beds needed extra for a women’s program.

A facility in LeSieur County is a good comparison for Carlton County. It has 94,000 square feet, and is being visited by several of the county commissioners and jail study participants. This complex was built as a combination jail/justice center with 2.75 courtrooms and all staff associated with the jail-courtroom process.

Coughlin said that the decision involves not only if a jail/justice center should be built on the green space, but also how much staff would be moved to the new complex.

It is anticipated by the architects that the costs per square foot to build a jail will range from $550 to $585. The courtroom and justice center portion would run $350 to $375 per square foot. At the current pace, the building would be completed later in 2024.

The Minnesota Legislature has yet to make a decision whether to allow the county to put a referendum on the 2022 general election ballot for the people of Carlton County to approve a half-percent sales tax to fund the jail/justice center.

State Representative Mike Sundin said Tuesday that “anything to do with money” is still to be decided.

“The governor and Legislative leaders did not come out with spending levels until the last day of the session,” he said, adding that he was optimistic about getting permission to ask for a jail tax. “Work now starts finalizing the bills to allow this spending. These bills will pass in the middle of June after three days’ notice is given for a specific date. Coupled with the money coming from the federal government, I believe we can reach an agreement to balance the state’s budget for the next six years.”