06-17-2013, 05:46 PM
From KAJO news:
The Grants Pass City Council today gave city staff approval to draft a plan to reduce the general fund ending balance from last fiscal year and increase the general fund contingency balance as another step toward purchasing city funded jail beds.
City Finance Director Jay Meredith demonstrated three possible options for the jail beds which would cost an estimated $100 per day per bed and juvenile justice beds which would be roughly $145 per day per bed. For approximately $599,000 the city could rent 10 jail beds and three Jackson County Juvenile Justice beds, for $964,000 20 jail beds and three juvenile justice beds and for $2 million 30 jail beds and the reopening of the Josephine County Juvenile Justice Center at a cost of $800,000.
Public Safety Chief Joe Henner expressed during his presentation that what is needed most for the city is jail beds and often overlooked juvenile justice beds because it is easier to change a juvenile offender’s behavior.
Councilors had varying opinions including Lily Morgan who vehemently opposed placing inmates in any jail but the Josephine County Jail, Dan DeYoung who felt citizens needed to push the D.A.’s Office and Judges to prosecute cases quicker, Rick Riker who felt a three-month lease should be drafted to test the proposal and Dennis Webber who felt the city’s control over the beds needed to be assured.
Councilors will vote on moving the ending balance funds to the contingency balance during their budget meeting Wednesday night.
The Grants Pass City Council today gave city staff approval to draft a plan to reduce the general fund ending balance from last fiscal year and increase the general fund contingency balance as another step toward purchasing city funded jail beds.
City Finance Director Jay Meredith demonstrated three possible options for the jail beds which would cost an estimated $100 per day per bed and juvenile justice beds which would be roughly $145 per day per bed. For approximately $599,000 the city could rent 10 jail beds and three Jackson County Juvenile Justice beds, for $964,000 20 jail beds and three juvenile justice beds and for $2 million 30 jail beds and the reopening of the Josephine County Juvenile Justice Center at a cost of $800,000.
Public Safety Chief Joe Henner expressed during his presentation that what is needed most for the city is jail beds and often overlooked juvenile justice beds because it is easier to change a juvenile offender’s behavior.
Councilors had varying opinions including Lily Morgan who vehemently opposed placing inmates in any jail but the Josephine County Jail, Dan DeYoung who felt citizens needed to push the D.A.’s Office and Judges to prosecute cases quicker, Rick Riker who felt a three-month lease should be drafted to test the proposal and Dennis Webber who felt the city’s control over the beds needed to be assured.
Councilors will vote on moving the ending balance funds to the contingency balance during their budget meeting Wednesday night.