Antrim County voters consider $25.5 million jail upgrade

Oct. 3—BELLAIRE — Antrim County held its last information session on the Public Safety Center proposal voters will see on the Nov. 5 ballot.

The packed house on Tuesday afternoon mostly spoke in support of the proposal. The bond measure request is for an estimated annual 0.56 mills for 20 years to build the center and revenues would be for debt repayment only.

The motivation for the new center is the 70-year-old jail, which is in need of major upgrades and repairs. The Michigan Department of Corrections, Workers Compensation, and the county's liability insurance company all say the jail is not in compliance with state and federal regulations.

The PSC project is expected to cost about $32.5 million, with a county contribution of $7 million. The bond proposal is to cover the estimated $25.5 million.

The average annual cost by township varies a lot throughout the county. Once the average taxable value of a residential home is considered, Star and Mancelona townships have the lowest expected cost, with Torch Lake and Elk Rapids being the most expensive.

"Nobody is over $100 annually," said Janet Koch, deputy administrator.

And these values are only true if the maximum allowable amount is levied, which the board is hoping not to do.

Antrim County officials assured voters at the meeting of their commitment to keeping costs as low as possible for residents, noting that the full 0.56 mills does not have to be levied in full, or at all.

"If we have a large surplus, those funds will stay in the fund and earn interest," said Brad Rizzo, Antrim County accounting director. "For years when there's a smaller surplus, we can use those (funds) to cover."

Terry VanAlstine, current board chair for the Antrim County Board of Commissioners is up for election this November and was at the meeting to support the project and share his belief that it can be done with little economic impact on voters.

"I believe we can do it without any increase in taxes at all," said VanAlstine during public comment.

If approved, the county expects to break ground next fall and move into the building in 2027.

The new facilities

The center, which would replace the current jail, would also put the sheriff's office, road patrol, detectives, administration, dispatch, emergency manager, and a training room/Emergency Operations Center all under one roof.

Supporters claim the project will be more efficient while serving the community better through improved safety and security.

"We have a large county, with a few officers at a time covering it and them spending the time going between all these buildings — conversing with the emergency manager or the CMH or the jail, and going back to the detective bureau — it's a lot of time spent trying to get one thing done for somebody who needed something an hour ago. And now someone else needs something," said Sgt. Devon Doucette of the Antrim sheriff's office.

"In our business, seconds start to matter a lot. Us wasting 30 seconds to a minute getting to a vehicle or finishing up at the jail and going to our car, it doesn't seem like a lot but I can tell you from first-hand experience ... that made a difference for someone and their well-being," said Doucette.

Mental health and addiction resources are part of this project. It is a goal to establish post-release mental health and addiction support, according to Koch. Antrim County reports that more than 60% of inmates have substance use disorders and the current jail has no way to address treatment.

The PSC would have the same number of corrections officers and the same number of beds, with one important upgrade — space.

This will allow inmates to be separated by sight and sound into male/female, adult/juvenile, violent/nonviolent, and sentenced/intake groups. The current jail has minimal ability to separate according to the county, and it creates an unsafe environment.

There will also be secure flexible spaces that can be used for de-escalation, a neutral holding area, or to address future needs.

"Ninety percent of these people or 99% are all coming back into your community and you have to protect them while they're here. And in your current facility, you cannot protect inmates from each other because of the way your facility is designed," said Tom Cremonte, a risk consultant with Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority.

The Old Jail

The few public comments against the proposal suggested the PSC was too big and expensive.

Renovating the old jail would be costly too, according to the county. An estimated $620,000 in immediate repairs would be required, and does not include the increasing costs of maintaining the building. Among the listed issues with the facility are blind spots that cameras cannot reach, stairways, tight corridors, and few areas to separate inmates.

If the bond fails, it is more likely the jail would simply not be used. In its place, the county would have to rely on sending inmates outside the county.

This would still require the construction of a new holding facility, estimated at $15-18 million.

In addition, the county would have to pay transportation costs and an annual estimated cost to other counties of $150,000 to $457,000 more than the current jail budget.

"When somebody goes into prison, that breaks a family," said Antrim County Administrator Jeremy Scott, discussing the community impacts of not having a local jail. He said many families may be unable to visit loved ones if they're an hour or two away.

Voters looking for more information can visit the county's website.

Kathryn DePauw reports in partnership with Report for America.

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