Starke County Commissioners To Meet Tomorrow For Final Jail Site Decision

Starke County Commissioners

The Starke County Commissioners will meet tomorrow at 9 a.m. for a special session to discuss the location of the new county jail facility and other topics.

A public meeting held last week revealed a number of community concerns regarding the proposed location of the jail facility on Highway 8 near the intersection of 550 East. The opposition centered around three main concerns, including public safety, property values, and traffic on Highway 8 and 550 East.

A study released by the U.S. Department of Justice indicated that property values are typically not affected by nearby jail facilities. On top of that, according to the study, public safety is generally not affected as well, and when public safety is affected, it typically increases because of the presence of police and the proximity of the jail facility. The traffic concern was not covered by the study, but a number of options are available to cut down on the traffic impact. These options will likely be discussed during the meeting.

The meeting will also discuss price quotes for the 2013 county employees’ health insurance, and price quotes for the renewal of inmate medical insurance. The appointments for 2013 will also be covered. The meeting will take place tomorrow in the meeting room of the Starke County annex building at 9 a.m.