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Committee will support campaign for new jail

The latest proposal for a new Floyd County Jail and Sheriff's Department. Prochaska & Associates drawing
The latest proposal for a new Floyd County Jail and Sheriff’s Department. Prochaska & Associates drawing

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

A new committee formed Thursday night is ready to begin working to pass a bond referendum for a new county law enforcement center and courthouse renovations.

One wrinkle is that the referendum the committee will be supporting hasn’t been approved yet — but that’s probably more a matter of when than if.

People at the meeting Thursday tentatively agreed they would work toward a bond referendum on Tuesday, May 1, but that date, as well as the amount of the bond requested, will be up to the Floyd County Board of Supervisors to decide.

Linda Tjaden, the county supervisors chairwoman who has also been leading a previous law enforcement center committee, said it is likely the supervisors will vote on a referendum resolution the last meeting in February or the first meeting in March.

The previous committee has looked at several possible options for the law enforcement center (LEC) to be constructed next to and attached to the courthouse, along with courthouse updates including new windows, a new heating and air-conditioning system, new handicapped-accessible restrooms and new elevators.

The LEC would include a new jail, sheriff’s offices and possibly the county communications center and Emergency Management Agency space.

The price tags for the various options have been in the $12 million to $14 million range, although they did not include costs to acquire property that will be needed for the LEC west of the courthouse.

Tjaden said the county’s consultants are working on more precise numbers to be included in the bond referendum.

“I’m so excited” about the campaign, she said. “I want to be involved, but I want to also take a step back from what I was doing in that (former) group. It’s really important to get the citizens to support this.”

The earlier committee, which had a membership skewing toward elected officials and members of law enforcement, is now evolving to be dominated primarily by private citizens.

The new committee’s job will be to provide information and — if it decides to — actively promote passage of a bond referendum.

The meeting Thursday evening at the courthouse was largely organizational.

John Pearson, Floyd County Farm Bureau vice president, was selected as the new group’s chairman, and Roy Schwickerath, former Charles City fire chief and former county supervisor, was selected vice-chairman. Bill Cavanaugh was selected as secretary.

Curt Field, an architect and project manager for Prochaska & Associates, the county’s consultants, made a point again Thursday that he has made several times in previous meetings — the campaign committee will play a key role in the success of the bond referendum.

Prochaska can provide technical expertise and help with campaign materials such as informational brochures and yard signs, but “historically, you folks will do better passing a bond if we’re in a supporting role,” Field said.

The new committee must decide if it wants to be informational only or if it wants to actively push for passage of a bond referendum.

Field said Prochaska’s experience shows that a “Vote yes” committee will provide a better chance of the referendum passing than a “facts only” committee.

“We have been happier with a promotional group where you are persuading the public,” he said.

If the committee promotes a yes vote, it will likely need to form a 501(c)3 political action committee to raise funds for promotional materials and other expenses.

The amount needed isn’t large, Field said, probably $1,000 or $2,000, but county money cannot be used to urge people to vote one way or the other.

County funds can only be used to provide factual information about the current situation with the jail, which was built in 1941 and no longer meets state requirements as far as space; safety for jailers and detainees; or separation requirements for different genders, ages and classes of crime; and the reasons updates are needed at the courthouse.

The group discussed whether to recommend holding a bond referendum in May or August, and decided on the earlier date.

“Father Time keeps ticking on us, and we’re just looking for something new,” said Floyd County Sheriff Jeff Crooks.

He said people who have toured the jail see why it needs to be replaced, and open houses and tours of the jail will be a big part of the campaign.

Bill Cavanaugh said, “I’m the guy that came in here from day one and said we don’t need a damn jail, and today I’m here to say we do and to offer up help to move this forward. This is a step we need to take. I’m on board.”

About six people at the meeting Thursday were not elected officials or members of law enforcement, and Field suggested the core committee should be about twice that size.

Pearson, the new committee chairman, said anyone interested in joining the campaign committee and supporting the referendum can call him at 641-430-5549, or send him an email at johnpearson64@icloud.com.

The next meeting of the committee will be 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 15, in the assembly room on the ground floor of the courthouse.

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