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GoogleThe bank has offered the building for sale but wants to lease the first floor and the drive-through branch west of the main building from the new owners, according to Circuit Court Clerk Thomas Smith, who presented the proposal Tuesday night.
Smith said the project can be financed and paid for with a courthouse security fund generated by courtroom fees, without any reliance on property or sales tax revenue. That fund contained $100,000 as of the end of March. Rental income from the bank would also help to pay back the cost of the building purchase, said court officials.
"We don't need it done by the taxpayers' money at all," said Smith. The purchase price of the building was estimated to be in the range of $550,000.
Court officials have said that the current county courthouse does not meet new security guidelines and that it would be extremely difficult to adapt the building to meet them. He said the bank building could house two jury courtrooms and two non-jury courtrooms.
Circuit Judge Lee Russell and General Sessions Judge Charles Rich were also in attendance for the meeting.
County Mayor Eugene Ray recommended that the finance committee refer the matter to the courthouse and county property committee for study. Courthouse committee member Linda Yockey, who was in the audience for the finance committee meeting, said the courthouse committee will want more concrete information.
The finance committee agreed to refer the proposal to the courthouse committee.
The courthouse committee is already scheduled to meet jointly with the law enforcement and workhouse committee next month to discuss a proposal that Bedford County Sheriff's Department take over the former Bedford County Medical Center on Union Street.
The first floor of the building would be used for sheriff's offices, the basement for booking and for holding of short-term prisoners, and upper floors for holding female prisoners.
Pulling non-violent female prisoners out of the current county jail on Lane Parkway would not only solve a current overcrowding problem but would even free up space that could be used for holding state felons, which generates revenue for the county.
Boyce also said the changes would make it possible to institute a work release program for female inmates.
But Commissioner J.D. "Bo" Wilson said he does not believe the proposal is compatible with Bedford County Nursing Home, adjoining the hospital building, or with Middle Tennessee Education Center, the new Middle Tennessee State University/Motlow State Community College facility which has opened behind the hospital.
Sheriff Randall Boyce said the hospital building would only be used for non-violent offenders and said escapees should not be a problem.
"Since I've been in office, we haven't lost one," said Boyce.
"Yet," responded Wilson.
Boyce said that Tennessee Department of Corrections has been encouraging, calling the project "absolutely doable," but said his department is still waiting to hear from the state fire marshal's office. Estimates of what it would cost to install fire protection sprinklers have also been favorable, said Boyce and administrator Larry Lowman.
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I agree with Mr. Wilson!
Yeah with the nursing home and now the new education center right behind the facility, I don't think this would a real desirable situation to have inmates no matter what degree their crime is plus if the booking station is at that facility, wouldn't that mean they would book all degrees of criminals there. All it would take is one bad situation to happen and it could lead to lawsuits or even worse. That is just my opinion though.
You folks have the "not in my backyard" syndrome..You want all of this stuff, but want to be highly restrictive as to where to put it. The fact is, there are plenty of measures that can be put into place that will ensure the safety of the residents, staff, and anyone else on the property. There are trustees walking the street between the jail and workhouse for crying out loud...no one has so much as coughed at that. The people that would be housed in the old hospital are the lowest risk inmates. These are people that are just going to do their time and go home. They are non-violent offenders who pose minimal risk of escape. I dare say some of them will be the "Otis Campbell"s of Bedford County...only Boyce won't be giving them the keys to anything. All I'm saying is be a bit more open-minded. I understand the concern about the booking of inmates at that location, but you need to put a bit more faith in the correctional staff and officers in our town. The odds of someone overtaking the officers, making it out of a secured room, and getting as far as the nursing home are very slim...There will be tons of retro-fitting to secure the building...Im sure once their done with it, you won't even recognize it.
"Otis Campbell" LOL !
that's amazing that even a murderer could even get loose. when they arrest some one they cuff them and dont take them off till they are in a cell. so that means the moment they are arrested they go thru booking then to jail and only then they are locked up then have to back up to cell door with a hole in it just large enough for the correction officer to barley reach thru to take the cuffs off. i don't think a man with his hands behind his back can do any thing but run even if he could do that well. the old hospital is a great idea of utilizing space
"The bank has offered the building for sale but wants to lease the first floor and the drive-through branch east of the main building from the new owners, according to Circuit Court Clerk Thomas Smith, who presented the proposal Tuesday night."
The drive through branch is west of the main building on the square.
Again I say," Why don't you build the convicts a Hilton Hotel???????"
All you hear is over crowding, new offices.
Go ahead and raise our taxes on convicts.What a better way to waste our money.
Thats just inviting more convicts to do their crimes in Bedford Co.
Why don't you just put a want ad out in the Times Gazette?
If you are trying to entice tourists and visitors to shop and eat on the square, housing a booking facility and any kind of offenders is not a good idea.
This is slightly confusing and should have been two separate articles. It looks like you want to house inmates on the square. They are going to be held at the old hospital, with courtrooms and the clerks office going to the Regions building. The whole Regions building needs to be for court purposes or they will be out of space again in a few short years. The crime in Bedford County is growing by leaps and bounds and as the economy gets worse, crime will only get worse. Larger courtrooms will be needed and staff will have to be added. Powers that be, PLEASE plan for the future so we are not looking at this problem again in 10 years or less.