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Ballot language approved at jail committee meeting

News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Alpena County Commissioners Brad McRoberts, left, and Bill Peterson review ballot language for a proposed millage for a new jail. The board voted to approve the language, as well as the site near the airport.

ALPENA — The Alpena County Board of Commissioners voted to approve millage language seeking 20 year, one mill which will be used to construct and furnish a new jail near the airport. A portion of the millage will also help to fund jail operations.

The commissioners voted 6-0 to approve the ballot language, which needs to be filed no later than Tuesday at 4 p.m. The cost of the jail is estimated to be about $10 million and operating funding of $5 million. Interest on the bonds are expected to cost about $4 million more. All totalled the proposed millage would draw in about $19.6 million.

Sheriff Steve Kieliszewski said the jail committee and commissioners have done a lot of work to get to the point to where having a new jail built is possible. He said the jail, which is 60 years old is beyond its useful life and is burdensome and unsafe for police, corrections officers and inmates. Knowing now there is a solid plan for a new jail and a chance it will become a reality makes him feel good.

“This was a big hurdle to clear and the stress level is down quite a bit already,” he said. “There has been a lot of time and effort put into this and it is something we have been trying to do for years and now it is time to put it in front of the voters and hopefully they’ll approve it.”

During discussion, Commissioner Brenda Fournier made an emotional plea to the balance of the board and to voters to support the millage because the current jail doesn’t meet the standards the police need and deserve.

“These men and women put their lives on the line, for us, and are working in a jail that is unsafe and they never ask for anything from us,” she said. “I believe now we should give back, by giving them a safe jail, which is badly needed. I believe it is up to the people of the county to help make this happens and give their full support.”

Commissioner Brad McRoberts, who used to work at the jail said he believed the sight near the airport is a good one and he supports the effort to have a new jail built, because he has seen firsthand how badly one is needed.

“I think this is as optimal of a location we are going to find, it puts the office and jail centrally located in the county,” McRoberts said. “Honestly the current jail has long outlived it’s useful life, so I’m excited about this.”

Commissioner Bill Peterson thanked the hundreds of meeting hours the jail committee and subcommittees took part in in order to hammer down a site from the 15 that were proposed, as well as the millage details.

“The amount of hard work they all had to do to get to where we are at today is staggering and I thank them for that,” Peterson said. “Without them we wouldn’t be to this point.”

If passed the millage will collect $1 for every $1,000 of taxable value of a home. That means the owner of a house assessed at $100,000 will pay about $50 for the millage each year for the next 20 years.

If passed the total revenue from the millage will generate $912,593 in 2018 and increase to $1,051,800 in the final year in 2037.

Commissioner Cam Habermehl said the exact section of county owned property at the airport hasn’t been decided upon because there is still some work to do in terms of working with the Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Natural Resources. He said he suspects it will be built on the east side of the airport between the security fence and Sportsmans Drive.

“We have a lot of good property back there and we already have water, sewer and fiber nearby,” Habermehl said.

The millage request will be on the ballot for the November election.

Commissioner Nick Modrzynski was excused from the meeting, as he continues to attend to a family medical emergency, and commissioner Bob Adrian was also absent.

Steve Schulwitz can be reached via email at sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5689. Follow Steve on Twitter ss_alpenanews.

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