FAIRMONT– On Thursday a public informational meeting was held at the Martin County Courthouse in Fairmont regarding the rezoning of property located at 800 E. Margaret St. in Fairmont for the purpose of the proposed Martin County Regional Public Safety Center.

The location of the property is across Margaret Street to the south of the new Fairmont City Public Works building. Notice of the meeting was sent to residents and businesses with properties in the area.

The land requires a conditional use permit (CUP) because while the bulk of it is currently zoned B3 General Business, a small portion in the parcel that’s zoned R3 Multiple Family requires a CUP.

County Attorney Taylor McGowan opened the meeting and said that the purpose of it was to share information and educate residents about the rezoning application, as well as the rationale behind the placement of the site for the Martin County Regional Public Safety Center.

He then turned it over to Jonathan Loose of Wold Architects, who has been working on the project with the county for several years.

Loose shared that a master plan was produced back in 2007 and updated in 2017. Then in 2019, the county received $2.1 million in state bonding to help fund the design. Since then the county has been in pursuit of both state and federal funding for the project.

While the facility was originally expected to be about $43 million, it’s been scaled down to its current estimate of $32 million.

Chief Deputy Corey Klanderud went through a slideshow of photos which showed the existing jail facility, which is nearly 50 years old yet was designed to last 25 years.

Klanderud pointed out that the current security building is not handicap accessible. The lobby in the law enforcement center could be filled with someone getting a burn permit at the same time as someone who’s just been arrested or in for a drug test. The booking area is a tight space which allows inmates access to expensive equipment.

Another area of concern touched on was the nurse’s office, which has no exam room or real space to treat medical issues so Klanderud said inmates need to go off site for care at an expense to the county.

“Our jail is what’s called a linear design. The hallways aren’t wide enough and our isolation cell, you can’t even make the corner to get in,” Klanderud said.

He said the plumbing is also built into the walls and has been replaced over time because it keeps deteriorating. There are gutters under pipes in the evidence room and there has been issues with leaking which is obviously problematic because it could damage evidence and also equipment in that room.

After concerns with the current facility were shared, Loose spoke about the plans for the new facility which would house jail operations, Martin County Sheriff’s Office, Fairmont Police Department and 911 dispatch. The court system was removed from the original design for cost savings and is intended to remain in the Martin County Courthouse.

Loose shared that the proposed facility is slated to be about 55,000 square foot and mostly single story. The jail will have 50 beds with 32 cells in six pods which will allow for more classifications and separation. There will also be a garage to house the vehicles that the county invests in.

Loose was able to bring up a map which showed where the proposed facility would be in proximity to streets and other sites in Fairmont, such as the nearby Winnebago Avenue Sports Complex and skate park. There are residential areas near the site, as well as some businesses.

“As a part fo the 2017 process and in the last few years, the county has looked at maybe 15 or 20 different sites in the county to try to determine what the best location was,” Loose said.

After about 20 minutes of initial information being shared, the meeting was opened up for questions. Overall, many of the residents present agreed that a new jai is needed, but took issue with the proposed site.

One resident asked a question about when and where sirens and lights on law enforcement vehicles would be turned on as they were concerned about being woken up in the middle of the night.

Klanderud said that some law enforcement officers may turn on their lights right when they hit Margaret Street, but some may wait until they hit Highway 15, though he said it’s in part dependent on the circumstances.

County Commissioner Jaime Bless, who is also a Fairmont Police officer, pointed out that often times in the night sires and lights are from ambulances.

A resident added that officers who are already on patrol will often times go to calls and that they won’t all be leaving from the law enforcement center.

“On average, it will be a very minimal thing… I don’t see it happening a lot but it might,” Klanderud said.

One resident asked why this particular site was chosen for a jail when there’s all of Martin County to be considered. He took issue with the close proximity of the sports complex and daycares in the area.

Klanderurd reiterated that they have considered nearly 20 sites and that a lot of factors have been considered. He said that state statute requires that the sheriff’s office be located in the county seat, which is Fairmont.

“We looked at access. We’re right next to Highway 15, very close to the I-90 access… yes, there are a lot of things that aren’t perfect. We looked at a couple different sites that we liked even better but there were other issues with those that made them not as user friendly for lack of a better term,” Klanderud said.

It was also asked whether the facility would be fenced in. Kladerud said that it was originally planned to be but it was removed for cost savings. However he said that the only people outside of the building will be the staff who parks in the back of the building and that there will be no other outside activity on the backside of the building.

A resident expressed concerns with how a jail in such close proximity to his property would affect the value of his home.

“You’re affecting a lot of people, a lot of property. There has to be a better plan than where it’s going now,” they said.

Bleess spoke up, saying he had some of the same thoughts when he started as a county commissioner but after learning from other commissioners and engineers who have been working on the project for several years, he understands why this has been selected as the best site.

“What I came to is a middle ground in my own head that anything could go there and there are a lot of things that could go there that are less desirable than a secure building with a bunch of peace officers that are ready to help you right there,” Bleess said.

It was asked when the project will start. Commissioner Kathy Smith, who is a member of the justice center committee, said they have been working with state representatives and senators for the last four years to get bonding dollars and after the last session in May, they decided they can’t wait any longer so altered the plans to build what the county can afford.

“We’re looking at what we can borrow. We’re using the $2.1 million we received from the state a few years ago for planning and preparation and we’re also looking at $1.1 million from the federal government and it sounds like there’s a good chance we’ll get that funding,” Smith said.

The county has also submitted an application for next year’s bonding in the amount of $12.75 million.

She stressed that the county has been wanting to do the project since 2006 but has put it off for one reason or another but pointed out that by state mandates they’re at a point where they need to address issues with the jail.

“I’m hearing that most of you understand that. We’re doing our darndest to make sure this isn’t as expensive for our county residents,” Smith said.

In conclusion, Fairmont’s planner and zoning official, Peter Bode, said that the rezoning application will go before the planning commission at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 3 and that residents are welcome to attend that meeting as well. He said the planning commission will make a recommendation to the Fairmont City Council, which will then hold a public hearing within four weeks and if that is approved the zoning will be changed.

“If everything goes as planned, the county could have bids in hand by the end of the year and be able make a decision about the financing plan and in the spring potentially construction could start,” said Loose.