Waldo County officials mull new jail complex

BELFAST – Waldo County commissioners have decided to put their aging jail behind them and move toward construction of a one-stop campus facility consisting of a new jail, sheriff’s office and court complex.

Meeting Tuesday, commissioners stressed that the campus may be viewed as a long-term goal, but that the jail and sheriff’s office are their priorities.

Commissioner chairman Jethro Pease said taking the long-term approach to solving the county’s space needs was the only way to eliminate the constant need to play catch-up.

“In our vision we really need to look over the hill,” Pease said.

The commissioners reluctantly voted to spend $32,000 to patch the roof on a jail they hope to tear down within three years. The roof leaks into the cellblock whenever it rains.

“I think, hopefully, we’ve solved it for a few more winters,” Pease said.

Waldo County residents may be asked to vote on a new jail in November 2003. If the jail wins their support, it could be open by Christmas 2005. The commissioners hope to obtain an option on a jail site within the city limits that will be large enough to provide space for the relocation of other county buildings later.

The commissioners reached their decision after being briefed by the consultants they hired earlier this year to study the county’s buildings. Curtiss J. Pulitzer of Pulitzer Bogard & Associates of Lido Beach, N.Y., and Janet Hansen of Portland-based SMRT advised the commissioners that virtually all county buildings had problems with space.

Focusing on the jail, Pulitzer said it would be foolhardy to pump any more money than was necessary to keep both it and sheriff’s office running.

“Long term, there’s no value in putting any money in those buildings,” said Pulitzer. “The sheriff’s office, the old jail and the 25-year-old jail need to be replaced.”

Pulitzer also recommended that the county consider including in its new jail plans additional space for a courthouse complex. He said both the District Court and Superior Court buildings are inadequate, especially in matters of security.

Pulitzer said the state was combining the administration of the two courts under one clerk. He said that while that would remove the need for additional personnel, “the bad news is there are several courthouses several blocks apart.”

The consultants recommended that the county find a piece of land near the downtown with enough acreage to make it suitable for a government campus.

Pulitzer said having the jail, sheriff’s office and eventually the courts at the same location would reduce the cost of transporting inmates to the two courts. Most important, he said, the campus “would improve security and speed up justice as well.”

The consultants said the District Court building on Court Street is in fine shape and still could be used for county offices, such as the registry of deeds and Probate Court if the county decided to build a new courthouse.

According to the report, the historic Superior Court in the Waldo County Courthouse is cramped and its design inadequate for security, access for the disabled and record storage. Pulitzer said the building might be an attractive option for the city or the Belfast Museum.

“There’s lots of uses for that building other than a public space,” Pulitzer said. “Right now the number one priority is to look for a site for a future justice complex.”

Commissioner John Hyk stressed that the commissioners’ primary emphasis will be to secure support for the new jail and sheriff’s office. He said a new jail may be expensive but worth it over the long term.

“That will be money well spent,” Hyk said. “The longer we put money into [the existing jail complex] we will be throwing good money after bad.”