The future of the Merrimack County Jail is still in question. At a contentious meeting today, County Delegates put off a final vote on a bond to pay for jail renovations after many questioned the price tag. NHPR?s Trish Anderton reports.
THE 27-MILLION DOLLAR BOND WOULD HAVE GONE TO RENOVATE AND GREATLY EXPAND THE JAIL. THREE YEARS OF STUDY WENT INTO DRAWING UP THE PRELIMINARY PLANS. CONSULTANT KEN RICCI OF NEW YORK BASED RICCI ASSOCIATES SAID THE PLANNING PROCESS WAS THOROUGH AND THE RESULT, FRUGAL.
what your?e seeing today is a result of a lot of pushing and pulling. Its been continuous process of refinement. We were guided very strongly by the committee to reduce the cost.
FEW QUESTION THE NEED FOR A BETTER JAIL. THE CURRENT FACILITY WAS DESIGNED FOR 72 PEOPLE BUT HAS HELD AS MANY AS 200. THE CONSULTANTS? STUDY FOUND THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH HOLDING CELLS TO SEPARATE INMATES, THAT THE BUILDING IS IN A GENERAL STATE OF DISREPAIR, AND THAT IT LACKS SPACE FOR NEEDED PROGRAMS. FORMER DELEGATE JEAN WALLIN.
If people are put in house of corrections and they have a drug or alcohol problem theres no treatment for them. This gives us the opportunity to treat people at the house of corrections so they do not show up again.
BUT IF THE NEED FOR AN EXPANDED JAIL WAS CLEAR, THE RIGHT PRICE WASN?T. SEVERAL DELEGATES POINTED OUT THE STATE RECENTLY SPENT A SIMILAR AMOUNT OF MONEY ON A PRISON TWICE THE SIZE. THEY WONDERED WHY THE JAIL WOULD COST SO MUCH. THE CONSULTANTS REPLIED THAT THE TWO BUILDING SITES ARE DIFFERENT, AND THAT JAILS HOLD MORE SHORT-TERM INMATES, WHICH DRIVES UP CERTAIN COSTS. BUT REPUBLICAN DAVID HESS OF HOOKSETT WAS UNCONVINCED.
It seems to me if we are being asked to spend 30 million we should have a side by side analysis of how much that facility cost for 500 beds and how much this will cost for 237 beds and why the difference as opposed to simply stating there are different requirements for jails and prisons.
SOME DELEGATES POINTED OUT THEY HAD NO INFORMATION ON THE JAIL?S LIKELY OPERATING COSTS. SEVERAL COMPLAINED THEIR TOWNS HAD FACED DOUBLE-DIGIT INCREASES IN THEIR COUNTY TAXES IN RECENT YEARS. THEY ESTIMATED THE JAIL PROJECT COULD ADD AS MUCH AS 25-PERCENT TO THEIR BILLS IN YEARS TO COME. PEMBROKE DELEGATE FRANK DAVIS, A REPUBLICAN, SAID LAWMAKERS NEED TO TAKE A CAREFUL LOOK BEFORE APPROVING THAT KIND OF EXPENSE.
The committee's done a great job but I?d like to see before I can support this for my constituents, actions taken in other areas of county government to reduce the cost.
AS THE CRITICISM MOUNTED, AN UNLIKELY ADVOCATE STEPPED FORWARD TO TRY TO SALVAGE THE BOND ISSUE. STRETCH KENNEDY USUALLY PLAYS THE ROLE OF CURMUDGEON. BUT THIS TIME THE CONTOOCOOK REPUBLICAN WARNED CONDITIONS AT THE JAIL ARE SO BAD THEY LEAVE THE COUNTY VULNERABLE TO A FEDERAL LAWSUIT. KENNEDY URGED HIS COLLEAGUES TO GO AHEAD WITH THE PROJECT WHILE THEY STILL HAVE A CHOICE.
Now we?ve got away with murder but we?ve pushed it as far as we can. We go any farther we?re gonna be in deep doo doo. For gods sake lets not dilly dally around until we?ve got some moron from the federal bureaucracy around here telling us what kind of lightbulbs we have. It can get a little bit nauseating.
BUT KENNEDY FAILED TO SWAY HIS COLLEAGUES, AND THE DELEGATION VOTED TO TABLE THE ISSUE. REPUBLICAN RAYMOND CUMMINGS OF LOUDON WAS SATISFIED WITH THE OUTCOME. CUMMINGS SAID HE EXPECTED TO GET MORE DETAILED INFORMATION BEFORE HAVING TO VOTE ON THE PROJECT.
I did, I really did. Theres a lot of unanswered questions out there and we need to get the answers.
BUT OTHERS SAID THOSE WITH QUESTIONS SHOULD HAVE ASKED THEM EARLIER. THEY SAID THE COUNTY HAS ALREADY DELAYED LONG ENOUGH IN DEALING WITH THE JAIL?S PROBLEMS. DELEGATES WILL MEET TO DISCUSS THE JAIL PLAN JANUARY SEVENTH. THEY?LL VOTE AGAIN ON THE BOND ISSUE BEFORE THE END OF MARCH. FOR NHPR NEWS I?M
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