Saturday, March 06, 1999
Debate over jail site stalled
Kenton Co. location may still change
BY CINDY SCHROEDER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
COVINGTON — A special weekend Kenton Fiscal Court meeting will be called by month's end to discuss options for replacing Kenton County's troubled jail, Judge-executive Dick Murgatroyd said.
Because of scheduling conflicts, Mr. Murgatroyd said the earliest the meeting could be held would be March 27, which would delay any public hearings on possible jail sites until April.
The judge-executive said that he has made no decision on whether to stick with a proposed jail site at Interstate 275 and Ky. 17.
“I have never said that that is the only site, and that's where we have to go,” Mr. Murgatroyd said. “I'm not married to anything at this point.”
In December, the outgoing Kenton Fiscal Court endorsed a jail site south of Interstate 275 and east of Ky. 17 in Covington.
But the Kenton Fiscal Court members who took office on Jan. 4 say that they want to make sure the $38 million cost of a new jail is justified, before they go any further.
“We've first got to establish what we can afford to do,” Mr. Murgatroyd said. “Based on what we can afford to do, what are our options? Do we keep this jail (near Covington's riverfront) and build a satellite somewhere? Do we build a whole new jail? Do we build a whole new county complex?
“Those are questions we're going to have to answer, before we can make a decision (on how to deal with the Kenton County Jail),” he said.
The site at I-275 and Ky. 17 has generated opposition from Fort Wright and Edgewood, where residents and city officials have expressed concerns about everything from their safety to the high cost of the proposed jail.
Edgewood residents packed recent city meetings on the issue, and city officials have said they hope to get 6,000 signatures on petitions opposing the site. Residents also are organizing a letter-writing campaign, trying to involve other cities in their fight, and are searching for alternative jail sites.
Tom Schutzman, an Edgewood resident and vocal critic of the site, said that he was encouraged by Mr. Murgatroyd's comments.
“It appears (county officials) are revisiting site plans and cost,” Mr. Schutzman said. “I think that's also a concern for us. It's not just a matter of us not wanting the jail in residential back yards. It also doesn't make sense economically.”
Mr. Schutzman said opponents also are worried about the effect a jail at the site would have on area business development.
And they want Kenton County to put its prisoner needs above those of the state.
Kenton County Commissioner Barb Black told Edgewood residents last week that she is reviewing alternatives to the site, and her fellow commissioners have said that they are not committed to a particular site.
County officials say a new jail is needed to replace the crowded, inefficient multi-story facility in Covington that has been plagued by security and disciplinary problems, as well as numerous lawsuits.
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