Winona County commissioners voted to enter a predesign phase with the City of Winona to study a proposed joint public-safety facility and, at the same time, to pursue a study of the costs of remodeling the existing Law Enforcement Center. The board added a condition: the county will not spend funds on a remodel of the LEC until the city confirms whether it would stay in a shared facility, and the board will review the project again in July.

The move came after a lengthy public-comment period in which dozens of residents urged the board not to prioritize a new police facility and instead to allocate dollars to housing, mental-health services, fire and ambulance services, and other community supports. Speakers named in the transcript included Bonnie Hammock, Katie Mueller Freetag, Joan Heckman and many others who said the community needs noncoercive services more than a new police facility. Several speakers asked for a public hearing before the county commits any public dollars.

County Finance Director Chuck Elliott framed the board decision as part of a larger business-case process: identify the problem (an aging LEC with end-of-life mechanical systems), evaluate options (do nothing beyond emergency repairs; remodel the LEC; or pursue a new joint facility), and compare costs and benefits. Elliott told the board that the county budget currently includes $750,000 for emergency repairs to the LEC in 2025.

Supporters on the board said trying to secure state bonding for a joint facility was the best chance to stretch local dollars: the City of Winona has a state grant that could cover design and land acquisition, and the city and county each potentially would contribute an estimated county share of $4.5 million if the state funds the project. Opponents and cautious members pressed for guardrails: clear definitions of “needs versus wants,” firm written language that the county would have no binding financial obligation if the predesign proceeds, and a timeline to avoid open-ended staff work.

After debate, the board adopted a motion directing county staff to participate in the city-county predesign work and to obtain: (1) a formal written statement that participation in predesign does not commit the county to construction costs or binding expenses; (2) a clear answer from the City of Winona on whether the city would commit to remain at the LEC if the LEC remodel were the lower-cost option; and (3) a county review of results in July 2025. The motion also specified that no county funds earmarked for an LEC remodel would be spent until the city’s position was clarified. Commissioner names recorded in the transcript who participated in the motion discussion include Commissioner Ward (mover of the initial option), Commissioner Meyer, Commissioner Elsing, Commissioner Olsen, and others. The motion passed following a roll-call-style call for aye/nay in open session.

Why it matters: The decision keeps multiple options open while attempting to protect county taxpayers from open-ended commitment. If state funding is awarded and the city-county arrangement is feasible and cost-effective, the county could reduce its local share; if not, the county will have concurrent LEC-cost estimates available to inform a county-only path forward. The public input at the meeting underscored local concerns that county spending should prioritize services residents say affect safety day-to-day—housing, mental-health crisis response, fire and ambulance—rather than additional law-enforcement infrastructure.

The board instructed staff to bring back: the city’s formal assurances on obligations; a predesign scope and budget; a separate county LEC remodel cost study (budgeted in the motion at up to $100,000 or less); and a July follow-up for the full board to reassess and decide next steps.

Ending: Commissioners said the action did not commit the county to construction and that the predesign work is intended to produce apples-to-apples cost comparisons so the board can make an informed decision later in 2025.