BOC hears input on facilities plan
Photo by Dave Lein
Antrim County Sheriff Dan Bean honored Cpl. Sherry Knight with a Lifesaving Award during last Thursday’s Board of Commissioners’ meeting. Knight was recognized for her quick action to an inmate that had been arrested and was being booked at the Antrim County Jail. Bean said Knight recognized the signs of an overdose and administered naloxone (NARCAN) saving the person’s life. “Cpl. Sherry Knight is commended for her dedication to the inmates at the jail and for her professionalism and quick response to a very serious situation,” Bean stated. Knight joined the department in 2001 and was promoted to corporal in 2010. She and Bean are pictured with jail administrator Sgt. Todd Rawling (far left).
BELLAIRE – Besides several comments about voting issues in Antrim County related to the recent primary election (see related story on page ___), last Thursday’s Board of Commissioners meeting focused on the county’s next step regarding its facilities master plan.
On Aug. 6, the board held an informational meeting for the public, offering results from a $68,000 study, recently completed by Kalamazoo consulting firm Byce and Associates.
At that meeting Antrim County Board of Commissioners Chair Ed Boettcher said in his introduction of the Byce team, "This all began with our concerns about security at the courthouse."
He also noted that while the Aug. 6 meeting marked the end of one process, he believed another much larger process was about to begin.
"We have some huge decisions in front of us and no idea what we want to do," Boettcher said.
While about 30 scenarios were generated by Byce to help the county become more efficient and effective in the use of its aging facilities over the next 20 years, that number was narrowed down to six primary options for input and consideration.
One common denominator within those options was the need for a new jail. Whether that jail could be built at or near its current site within the county’s “main campus,” (essentially downtown Bellaire) or an expanded campus in the same area, constructed elsewhere on county-owned property south of Bellaire, or combined with a complete relocation of the “main campus” onto county-owned property is still up for consideration.
The complete relocation of the main campus to county-owned property near the current Animal Shelter – labeled as “Option G” – was suggested and supported by a group of attendees at the Aug. 6 meeting. While questions and public input were limited at that meeting – in part due to a lengthy presentation by Byce – county board members encouraged further discussion and input at future meetings.
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