Marshall County Community Corrections will need to move their offices out of the Court House to another location by early November. The move is necessary due to the fact the county will be getting a fourth court in July of next year and Community Corrections is currently using that space.
During the commissioner’s meeting on Monday, Ward Byers, Director of Community Corrections was asked by Commissioner Kevin Overmyer where he wanted to move the office to.
Byers has two options available, the Community Resource Center or the former Law Offices of Joe Simanski and Doug Hite. He told the commissioners, “I think if you look at the Community Resource Center, while it’s a lease of $139,000 over the seven year lease, it already has the county’s network in it, so it would take nothing to run the cable from the basement up stairs and it’s move in ready.”
Commissioner Stan Klotz asked about payment of the lease saying, “You made the comment you have the money to pay for that first year’s lease?” Byers said when the budgets were approved they included the lease payment. He also noted that moving to the top floor was cheaper than being in the basement by the Health Department. Byers said, “The grant will cover the lease in its entirely until year four.”
Byers said he has been in the house across the street several times and said there would be some challenges to getting the county’s technology into the building. He said it would be about $15,000 to run the fiber across the street.
The Community Corrections Director told the commissioners, “I don’t want to go anywhere and have to spend money, whether that’s a lease or whether that’s the county having to put money out to purchase a place. I don’t find that necessary but that’s the position and what I’ve been handed.”
Byers said, “I think that’s it was best at this point to accommodate the deadline that I have been given to move to the Community Resource Center.”
The Community Resource Director also said, “I think during that period of time, (the length of the lease) we can slow things down and maybe have a conversation about what is next and where do we go and possibly constructing something, but time our time to do it.”
While the lease is for seven years, County Attorney Jim Clevenger said the Health Department lease is for a five year period. The commissioners seemed interested in a shorter term lease than the initial seven years.” Byers also mentioned that one section of the lease calls for the county to pave the additional parking lot at the Community Resource Center.
Commissioner Overmyer said he received the parking plans from Brent Martin and Highway Superintendent Jason Peters told him that he plans to do the prep work this fall. Overmyer said, “We made that commitment prior to the building being constructed.” He said it would be a $45,000 in-kind contribution.
The county has also sought two appraisals for the lawyer’s office across the street. They have received one but are still waiting on the second one.
