Recovery Court seeks $650,000 to renovate former General Sessions space; opioid committee review pending

Recovery Court judges and the Recovery Court Foundation presented a plan to renovate part of the former General Sessions Court building so the court, its foundation and related services can operate under one roof. The presenters asked the county to consider up to $650,000 in capital funding to complete the buildout.

Presentation highlights: Recovery Court representatives said they seek about 8,000 square feet for program offices, classrooms for intensive outpatient programming (IOP), a secure entry for screened inmates delivered from the jail, a room for medication-assisted-treatment storage and administration (Vivitrol) and expanded space for family-reunification programs such as Celebrating Families. The packet shows a Marshall-estimated construction cost of roughly $631,950 plus a 10% contingency; the Recovery Court presenter said he was asking for $650,000 to avoid future supplemental requests.

Funding path and timing: Presenters told commissioners that the opioid abatement committee has approximately $500,000 tentatively available for the project and that the request will be routed through GenOps, the opioid committee, the budget process and ultimately to the county commission if committees recommend appropriation. No formal appropriation was approved at the March 13 meeting.

Why it matters: Recovery Court said it currently operates out of multiple rented and county spaces and that consolidation would reduce rent paid by the Foundation, increase program capacity (the court reported about 75 participants with capacity for roughly 100), improve ADA access and create secure intake space for people screened from the jail. Presenters emphasized reduced recidivism: they reported Recovery Court recidivism below 8% in General Sessions (figures presented by the court) and said a consolidated, ADA-compliant facility would help expand treatment and support services for people with substance use disorders.

Questions and concerns: Commissioners and staff asked for clarity on the exact rooms and square footage proposed, breakdowns between sheriff’s space and Recovery Court space, and the source of the remaining funding if opioid funds do not cover the full estimate. Staff noted an ADA transition estimate of $752,081 for the larger facility (county-wide figure circulated in packet) and warned that materials costs could rise. Presenters said the Foundation already subsidizes participant housing and services (they listed about $243,000 in grant and donation revenue and roughly $202,000 in annual participant-related expenditures) and argued consolidation would make operations more efficient and improve the coalition’s ability to seek grants.

Next steps: Staff and committee members directed the proposal into the GenOps and budget process and the opioid abatement committee said it would continue review in April. Presenters said they would seek an architect and aim for construction completion in about a year if approved.

Ending: No funding motion passed at the meeting; Recovery Court and staff will provide more-detailed plans, architecture drawings and a clarified funding split to GenOps and the opioid abatement committee before any appropriation is scheduled for the full commission.