Orange County NC Website
CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESOURCE DEPARTMENT <br /> Justice Advisory Council Meeting <br /> Friday, March 2, 2018 <br /> West Campus Office Building—Room 004 <br /> Hillsborough, NC <br /> 3:00 PM—4:30 PM <br /> Welcome and Introduction to New Members <br /> Commissioner Barry Jacobs called to order the meeting of The Justice Advisory Council at 3:05 pm and welcomed <br /> everyone. New member, Quintana Stewart was introduced. <br /> Updates from JAC Stakeholders <br /> Detention Center Update: Site and Design Planning—Presenters Jeff Thompson and Travis Myren <br /> Jeff Thompson provided historical overview as well as an update on the new detention center specifying various sites <br /> that were considered in the original feasibility study. He further discussed the need for a new location for the <br /> Environment and Agricultural Center.The current location houses the Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks <br /> and Recreation administrative and agricultural services offices, Soil and Water, Cooperative Extension, USDA Rural <br /> Development and the Farm Services Administration.Jeff maintained that the County had attempted to acquire property <br /> near the current facility but could not come to acceptable terms with the state. Rebuilding on the current site would <br /> cost the county to demolish the existing facility and house the prisoners in a temporary location during construction, <br /> which would cost the county an additional $5.8 million.Two other options under consideration included building near <br /> the courthouse,which would cause major disruption to downtown and the Coleman Loop Road site, which did not have <br /> adequate utility service and was expected to cost at minimum of$700,000-$800,000 to extend adequate utilities to the <br /> site. <br /> The recommended location was the Highway 70 site.The location provides excellent access to the courts campus and <br /> Interstate 85.The location has water and sewer services adjacent to the site. Capacity and flow analysis is being <br /> conducted as part of the examination of the site.This site is supported by the Town of Hillsborough staff. Since the site <br /> falls within Hillsborough's planning and land use ordinance jurisdiction,the county is following the prescribed process <br /> for the necessary land-use and zoning ordinance amendments to develop the campus site as envisioned. The site offers <br /> more operationally efficient agriculture center, park operations center, and detention center transportation routes. <br /> There are no existing structures on the site.The site can accommodate other uses—e.g.the Agricultural Center, Parks <br /> Operations base and Park-and-Ride lots and a campus site development strategy for multiple facilities allows for more <br /> cost and operations efficiency. If the Highway 70 site is approved, the county would conduct a study to determine the <br /> best and highest use of the current detention center and the current Environment and Agricultural Center.Travis Myren <br /> reported that all three projects being consolidated on one site is in the current Comprehensive Plan and the budget is <br /> sufficient to accommodate this site requiring no new funding. <br /> Pre-Charge Diversion Planning and Legislative Judicial Redistricting—Presenter Jim Woodall <br /> Barry began the discussion indicating that the plan was to look at an alternate plan to incarnation particularly paying <br /> close attention to situations where people could not pay fines and losing their housing and livelihood. Sheriff Blackwood <br /> specified being committed to the idea and suggested it was great for the county. He reported that he was sending <br /> officers to Florida to a conference. He favored expanding the Misdemeanor Diversion Program—trying to intervene <br /> before people are charged and having the program be based on the charge rather than on age. Having new staff on <br /> board, Sheriff Blackwood expressed interest in expanding the current program. <br /> 1 <br />