News - pcgazette.com

News

Mayor opposes jail across Elk Street

By GENE KEMMETER
of The Gazette
A 200-bed Portage County jail across Elk Street is a dead issue, Stevens Point Mayor Gary Wescott says.

"As far as I'm concerned, it's not going anywhere in the central city area," Wescott said Wednesday following a meeting with Portage County Board Chairman Clarence Hintz and Charles Kell, director of the Portage County Planning and Zoning Department.

The county has proposed replacing its current Law Enforcement Center with a 200-bed jail, expandable to 400 beds.

Wescott said Wednesday's meeting was the first time county officials had presented him anything about the jail. "I informed the county board chairman it will not have my support."

"It doesn't make a lot of sense for the central city district," he said. "We need to protect houses for the average homeowner in this community. It's long been my belief that we must protect that base in the community."

He said governmental bodies and some businesses too often are looking to build in the city at the expense of nice homes, possibly creating inner city problems. "We don't do that in Stevens Point," he said.

During the meeting, Wescott said he pointed out that there are several factors that could possibly work against the county's effort to expand the jail. Those deal with vacating Elk Street, condemning homes and rezoning the property.

The county would have to formally petition the city to vacate Elk, he said, and state statutes allow any property owner abutting Elk on the block between Brawley Street and Arlington Place to file a protest, stopping the vacating of a street.

If the county were to condemn all the properties in that block, Wescott said one-third of the property owners on Elk between Brawley and the railroad tracks could then block vacating the street if they petitioned against it.

The county wants to own all 11 properties on Elk between Brawley and Arlington and the city council could approve the street vacation, but the property owners could still block it, he said.

Wescott said he hasn't talked to aldermen about the project but he doesn't think there's any support among the city council for a large jail. If the state Department of Corrections proposed a 400-bed institution in that neighborhood, he'd veto it, he said. "Four hundred beds is a prison."

He understands the county's need for a jail, he said, suggesting county officials meet with the jail building consultant to find a site away from the neighborhood.

"These homes are starter homes for young people, homes for older citizens. We can't have 11 homes here and 10 there for government facilities," he said. "This is one of the older parts of this community. I'm not going to have anything to do with destroying this historic area. Our job is to protect these homes."

Without his support, Wescott feels the county will look at options outside the central city area. "My sense is that the county didn't realize the neighbors had strong veto power over this."

The county also needs the city's approval to rezone the property to commercial district. A few years ago, Wescott said, state statutes were amended to give the city zoning jurisdiction over the county on city property, so the county would need Plan Commission and Common Council support.

The county is expecting an analysis of the jail options by Sept. 1, and the mayor hopes the analysis of the downtown area versus the outlying area would show better prices in the outlying area.

"Without city support for a downtown site, I feel they will be looking more at a remote site," he said. "In my judgment, I think they can have a remote jail and use video conferences," he said, adding that a proposal in the Legislature would permit more video conferences.

The remote site would allow the jail to grow. "If expansion is only for 15 to 20 years, where will we be in 35 years? You can't keep growing into neighborhoods," he said. Transporting prisoners from a remote site isn't handy, but a lot of counties are doing it, he said.

Wescott also pointed out that a recent Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance report said that jail populations grew at the lowest percentage in recent years in 1998, 0.8 percent.

He also said that Marathon County just built a jail for the next 25 years with 250 beds and that county is twice the size of Portage County.

The next move is up to the county, Westcott said. "They have to decide what to do. If they want to proceed with the central city they will not have my support."



	Mayor opposes jail across Elk Street By GENE KEMMETER of The Gazette A 200-bed Portage County jail across Elk Street is a dead issue, Stevens Point Mayor Gary Wescott says. "As far as I'm concerned, it's not going anywhere in the central city area," Wescott said Wednesday following a meeting with Portage County Board Chairman Clarence Hintz and Charles Kell, director of the Portage County Planning and Zoning Department. The county has proposed replacing its current Law Enforcement Center with a 200-bed jail, expandable to 400 beds. Wescott said Wednesday's meeting was the first time county officials had presented him anything about the jail. "I informed the county board chairman it will not have my support." "It doesn't make a lot of sense for the central city district," he said. "We need to protect houses for the average homeowner in this community. It's long been my belief that we must protect that base in the community." He said governmental bodies and some businesses too often are looking to build in the city at the expense of nice homes, possibly creating inner city problems. "We don't do that in Stevens Point," he said. During the meeting, Wescott said he pointed out that there are several factors that could possibly work against the county's effort to expand the jail. Those deal with vacating Elk Street, condemning homes and rezoning the property. The county would have to formally petition the city to vacate Elk, he said, and state statutes allow any property owner abutting Elk on the block between Brawley Street and Arlington Place to file a protest, stopping the vacating of a street. If the county were to condemn all the properties in that block, Wescott said one-third of the property owners on Elk between Brawley and the railroad tracks could then block vacating the street if they petitioned against it. The county wants to own all 11 properties on Elk between Brawley and Arlington and the city council could approve the street vacation, but the property owners could still block it, he said. Wescott said he hasn't talked to aldermen about the project but he doesn't think there's any support among the city council for a large jail. If the state Department of Corrections proposed a 400-bed institution in that neighborhood, he'd veto it, he said. "Four hundred beds is a prison." He understands the county's need for a jail, he said, suggesting county officials meet with the jail building consultant to find a site away from the neighborhood. "These homes are starter homes for young people, homes for older citizens. We can't have 11 homes here and 10 there for government facilities," he said. "This is one of the older parts of this community. I'm not going to have anything to do with destroying this historic area. Our job is to protect these homes." Without his support, Wescott feels the county will look at options outside the central city area. "My sense is that the county didn't realize the neighbors had strong veto power over this." The county also needs the city's approval to rezone the property to commercial district. A few years ago, Wescott said, state statutes were amended to give the city zoning jurisdiction over the county on city property, so the county would need Plan Commission and Common Council support. The county is expecting an analysis of the jail options by Sept. 1, and the mayor hopes the analysis of the downtown area versus the outlying area would show better prices in the outlying area. "Without city support for a downtown site, I feel they will be looking more at a remote site," he said. "In my judgment, I think they can have a remote jail and use video conferences," he said, adding that a proposal in the Legislature would permit more video conferences. The remote site would allow the jail to grow. "If expansion is only for 15 to 20 years, where will we be in 35 years? You can't keep growing into neighborhoods," he said. Transporting prisoners from a remote site isn't handy, but a lot of counties are doing it, he said. Wescott also pointed out that a recent Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance report said that jail populations grew at the lowest percentage in recent years in 1998, 0.8 percent. He also said that Marathon County just built a jail for the next 25 years with 250 beds and that county is twice the size of Portage County. The next move is up to the county, Westcott said. "They have to decide what to do. If they want to proceed with the central city they will not have my support."