Eeenie, Meenie, Miney, Moe..Which way does the political wind blow?
This column presents a conservative viewpoint about items of interest in our community and our lives. Focus is on items impacting your pocket book, your personal freedoms, and your rights. I hope you will read the column regularly and it occasionally influences your opinions and actions.
Why do we need to change the existing arrangement for county offices?
The primary reason for needing more space is the simple fact that our county government has grown steadily during the past four decades, and as new requirements, programs, laws, and systems were added …additional bureaucrats had to also be added to support these changes. Our local government has been growing steadily at around a 3% rate each year for many years. Similarly, the level of county employment and our level of taxation have also grown. Even though they have leased and in some cases purchased additional space during these years, the growth has reached a point to where more space is needed. Additionally, it is better for the county to be paying for additional space than to be merely paying rent to some fortunate property owner.
There are several options which have been suggested to remedy this condition. These include:
Option #1. Build a new County Administration Building on Old Jail Site
This was the original plan brought forth by County Administrator Ted Lakey and several of the Commissioners. They paid several thousands of dollars for preparation of architectural plans and preliminary construction plans. Donofro and Associates did the design and Ajax Builders out of Tallahassee did the cost estimates. The original cost was for around $14 million for 15,000 sq. ft. and $20 million for 20,000 sq. ft. After the economy entered the current recession, the cost estimate for the $15,000 sq. ft. was reduced to $10,000,000.
Advantages:
● This approach provides new construction instead of remodeled construction.
● This approach leaves county admin functions near the court house where county court activities would occur. Tax Collection, Property Appraisal, Admin, and Planning, would be in the new space.
● This approach consolidates all county functions for customer convenience and enhanced management control.
Disadvantages:
● This approach does not provide for the needed additional parking. It would worsen an already bad situation for parking in the court house area.
● This approach only provides the space which is needed at this time. After a few years of additional growth, the space problem would be duplicated.
● This approach involves building expensive new space while less expensive empty space is a short distance away.
Option #2. Add additional floors to the existing court house.
Advantages:
● This approach provides a completely consolidated facility which maximizes customer convenience. (Only the jail, sheriff, and roads and bridges would be separated from the other functions.)
● This approach provides an opportunity to repair, redesign, and refurbish the existing court house, which many consider an eyesore. Also, a pitched roof could be built to replace the existing, troublesome flat roof.
● New construction would be used instead of reconditioned older construction.
Disadvantages:
● Multi-story construction is very expensive. This approach would carry the highest cost for completion.
● This approach does not solve the parking problem in the court house area. However, the planned relocation of the farmers market will provide some additional parking spaces. Also, if the old jail is torn down, the site could provide parking.
● This approach does not provide space for future growth, other than building more additional floors onto the courthouse, at great expense. Also, there may be limits to what can be added from a structural standpoint.
● Some feel this would only be making a bad situation become worse.
Option #3. Purchase and Recondition the Old Wal Mart Building.
Advantages:
● This approach provides 100,000 sq. ft. at the lowest cost per foot. (Estimated Cost = $5.5 million.)
● This approach provides space for consolidation of all court related functions in this space (with admin moved into court house) , or all consolidation of all administrative functions (with all court functions moved into court house).
● This approach provides space for all future growth.
● This approach has more existing parking space than would be needed.
● This approach solves the problem at the lowest cost to the taxpayers.
Disadvantages:
● This approach utilizes reconditioned space instead of new construction.
● This approach separates administrative functions from the other, court related functions by several blocks.
Option #4. Build Facility at Jail Site.
Another proposal which has been offered is to build a facility on the properties adjacent to the Jackson County Jail. This facility would house all court related functions, thus freeing space for relocating all administrative functions back into the Court House.
Advantages:
● This approach consolidates functions for customer convenience and management control.
● This approach provides newly constructed space for court functions.
● This approach relieves parking problems in Court House area.
● This approach utilizes property already owned by County.
● This approach reduces risks and costs related to transporting prisoners from jail to court house for processing.
Disadvantages:
● This approach involves construction of new square footage while existing space is available.
● This approach separates court functions from other county functions by approximately two miles.
Option #5. Utilize old Marianna High School Facilities.
Another proposal which has been offered is to remodel the now idled MHS buildings, and to use the old gym for civic activities and the Commission meeting room.
Advantages:
● This approach consolidates functions for customer convenience and management control.
● This approach accomplishes preservation of a historic community facility.
● This approach relieves parking problems in Court House area.
● This approach utilizes property already owned by government.
Disadvantages:
● This approach involves significant renovation costs, which at this time are unknown.
● This approach separates court functions from other county functions.
● This approach leaves the workers in a renovated building instead of new construction.
● This approach provides space for future growth.
Option #6. Stay in existing arrangement and purchase adjoining properties when available.
The county recently purchased the satellite building which is occupied by the Supervisor of Elections. This eliminates the cost of renting the building and when the debt is retired in a few years will result in a net savings for the county. Another building which is adjacent to the existing Commission room is under consideration for purchase.
Advantages:
● This approach involves the least disruption to operations.
● This approach involves the least risks for newly incurred indebtedness.
● This approach eases space requirements somewhat, although complete consolidation is not accomplished. Planning Dept. will remain separated.
● As other buildings adjacent to the Court House Square become available for purchase, individual decisions can be made by the Commission.
● This is the most conservative approach.
Disadvantages:
● Operations remain somewhat fragmented, although in same general area.
● Parking will remain a problem, although relocation of Farmers Market will help.
● County will be utilizing renovated space instead of new construction.
Option #7. Do Nothing
The Commission can elect to wait until the problems worsen, and meanwhile evaluate the general economic conditions before making any commitments on expenditures.
Advantages:
● This approach allows Commissioners to ignore the problems.
● This approach involves no investment, no risks.
Disadvantages:
● This approach does not solve the problem of crowding.
● This approach does not solve the problem of management control of separated functions.
● This approach does not take advantage of existing purchase opportunities.
Conclusion:
Personally, I would like to see the Commission resolve the crowding problems by getting rid of some bureaucrats. I feel that we have too many rules, codes, comprehensive plans, regulations, requirements, systems, precautions, programs, and services. I do not need to have “Big Brother” tell me how to do everything I do. I can patch my roof, repair my buildings, maintain my car, raise my children, and live my life without their help or involvement.
If they would cut the size of government back to only essential services….there would be plenty of room for them all. Of the other options, I personally feel using the old high school or the Wal Mart building are best because they provide plenty of space and parking at the lowest cost to the taxpayers, and they put empty space into use.
Rudiments: Odds and Ends Worth Mentioning-
● More bureaucratic stupidity has been displayed in the fight to save the shoreline against the oil spill. Today they showed a giant mass of oil floating toward Grand Isle, some as close as one mile. They wanted to fight it with oil disbursement chemicals, but the bureaucracy has a rule that the chemicals can’t be used within three miles of shore. …so the totally destructive oil chemicals will instead hit the island. Smart thinking there, “crats”.
● (Always include something nice) I think the fact that our community turned out and supported a Hospice organization by raising $60,000 for their work demonstrates the spirit and character of the people of Jackson County.
Our founding fathers had a deep rooted fear of the potential power of a central government. They wrote: “A constitution should be structured to permanently protect the People from the human frailties of their rulers.”
Note: The opinions stated in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Hatcher Publications.
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