Monroe County's Collaborative Justice Project Working Subcommittee held its first successful meeting Wednesday with its recommendation on a new jail site due in less than three weeks.
The subcommittee discussed metrics it will use to evaluate a new jail site, the process to consider additional properties and set a schedule to meet its deadline. The group must make a recommendation for a new jail site by July 13.
At its meeting Tuesday, the Monroe County Council reduced the subcommittee from eight to six members after the subcommittee failed to make quorum at its first scheduled meeting.
The county council elected member Liz Feitl as chair of the working group, and ex officio status was given to the sheriff's office and the board of judges after both entities declined to participate at this time.
City council member Sydney Zulich was elected as vice-chair during the subcommittee meeting.
Deputy prosecutor April Wilson proposed criteria for members to evaluate potential jail sites to streamline the subcommittee’s remaining time, drawing from metrics discussed during the special joint session on June 11.
“I wanted to find concrete questions,” she said. “So we could gather the facts that we needed to be able to have a more methodical, transparent and comprehensive conversation in front of the community that also included their input.”
According to its schedule, the subcommittee plans to start evaluating jail sites during its next meeting once site evaluation metrics are finalized and a definitive list of properties is assembled.
If new properties are to be added to the list, county attorney Molly Turner-King said they are typically discussed first in executive session before being publicly considered.
City attorney Larry Allen said this is to avoid inviting premature speculation and potential inflation of a property’s value.
“There’s no scenario where we talk about something in executive session and it stays secret behind closed doors until through the very end,” Allen said.
The subcommittee is scheduled to meet on June 29, July 1, July 6, July 9 and July 13.
The working group agreed to receive public comment at the June 29 and July 6 meetings and during a dedicated hour starting at 7 p.m. on July 9.
