Board settles on new jail site

It’s official. After more than two years of studies and debate, the Carlton County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Monday to build a new justice center north of the current transportation building. The justice center will house both the jail and courtrooms with space for support staff — including administration, the county attorney’s office and sheriff’s office — at a possible cost of more than $70 million.

On Monday, the board approved a working plan for the Justice Center site south of the Carlton Junction on Old Hwy 61, permission to explore bonding possibilities for the building, a plan for paying for the building complex, along with a proposed female offender program.

The county doesn’t have much of a choice regarding the new jail itself. It’s out of date and out of compliance, the state has said.

The Minnesota Department of Corrections notified county officials in early 2020 that the current jail does not meet building standards nor does it provide the required programming standards, suggesting the jail would be forced to close operation on July 31, 2023. If building progress is underway, the Department of Corrections would probably give an extension until Justice Center construction is completed.

Chief Sixth Judicial District Judge Mike Cuzzo addressed the jail study group on Sept. 20, regarding judicial needs in Carlton County.

“The Court system now implemented has needs and services that were not of a concern in 1922 when the Carlton County Courthouse was built. We have 2.5 full- or part-time judges working out of three courtroom areas. The building is minimally secure for such activities and requires hallways and stairwells for attorneys to work with their clients and family that come there for support. Safety is a big issue and the chance of an incident is there. Other offices are in the present courthouse and court activities and public use of these offices are hard to control,” he said.

He pointed out the screens on the wall at the Government Center in Cloquet. “Family and the interested public can livestream the work done here,” he said. “This is just one way that the current Courthouse services can be improved with new technological advances.”

Covering costs

The costs of the combined new jail and court facility are higher than originally anticipated — with the most recent estimates ranging from $66 to more than $70 million — and have outgrown the $60 million half-percent sales tax proposal approved by the state legislature this spring.

That legislative action was just the first step. The final decision rests in the hands of the voters — it will be on the ballot in November 2022. If residents approve the sales tax, it will take the burden off the local property tax levy, already one of the three highest in the state.

It has been suggested that the sales tax proposal might get approval for a levy of 0.75 percent, but this would need Legislative approval, which isn’t a sure thing. After that the county will be able to collect the sales tax proceeds for up to 30 years. A current half-percent sales tax to update the County road system already brings in about $2 million a year in revenue.

Work on the jail will commence before the new sales tax vote in 13 months.

Bids for work would go out in early 2022 and take two years to complete. Plans include 80 beds for inmates, plus another 16 for the female offender program, for which the state already allocated $2 million.

Twenty percent soft costs are included in the proposal for a 110,000-square-foot facility. Included in this figure of more than $11 million are architectural/engineering fees, consultant work, utility work needed for the new structure, security, technology services, furnishings, and bond/financing costs, to name just a few.

County commissioners regularly voice concerns about the rising costs during meetings and committee work. Commissioner Dick Brenner questioned a proposed probation services analysis. “I am concerned that the costs keep rising,” Brenner said. “What do we get for this contract? Is it a plan to handle probation services? I want to make sure that this $35,000 contract has a written plan we can use.”

Jailer Paul Coughlin said yes, the consultant would make recommendations the county board would have to approve them before they could be implemented.

Other county news

• A proposed Carlton County budget and levy was set at an increase of 4.9 percent. A final decision is made in December after the 2022 Truth in Taxation public meeting at 6 p.m. Dec. 14 at the Transportation Building. The levy cannot go any higher than the 4.9 percent in December, but continuing budget work traditionally allows the board to approve a lower figure by then.

• The booth for Carlton County government is being discontinued after a seven-year presence at the Carlton County Fair. Community interest has waned and the plan now is to have an expanded presence in the health and human services booth and the sheriff’s booth.