Some people are concerned about the county commissioners hiring an architect for a jail and judicial complex before they have decided on that as a courthouse solution.

Thursday, August 23, 2001

Some people are concerned about the county commissioners hiring an architect for a jail and judicial complex before they have decided on that as a courthouse solution.

Yet, the architect will not be designing buildings or making concrete plans for a structure; he will simply be fleshing out an off-site judicial center as an option for the county facilities. The plan he devises will go alongside 14 others the county has already drafted and decided against. The commissioners must have a clear idea of their options before making a decision, and that’s why they want to explore the judicial building concept.

Some are concerned that the county is spending money on an architect, and fear that money will be wasted if commissioners decide not to pursue the judicial building.

Yet, the expense of the architect – which has not been determined – will not exceed the cost of waiting. One year of inflation on a $15 million project – just to pick a number – raises the cost by hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Some are concerned that the county hopes to move all of its facilities out of downtown if the courts, jail and Sheriff’s department go.

Yet, commissioners have heard it shouted from the public that Freeborn County does not want the majority of the courthouse abandoned or razed. And the plan for relieving space issues at the courthouse hinges on letting non-judicial departments absorb the rest of the space left by the departure of the courts departments.

Some wonder why the county board felt the need to act fast. Fast? The courthouse has been discussed for years upon years. Employees have been working out of closets while they wait for a solution. The cost has ballooned and little progress has been made. The public elected a new board last year with a clear directive: Figure out the courthouse situation. No more stalling.

No doors will be closed by the board’s action to study the judicial building option. Board members see this as a promising possibility, but have said they are still open to a better fix if one becomes apparent. Hiring the architect only paves the way for them to have more information about one of the choices. They can use that information to make a more informed decision.