Marshall County Community Corrections eyes move into former Bowen Center building; council approved purchase, board discusses timeline and security

Marshall County Community Corrections staff told the advisory board that the county council has approved purchasing a former Bowen Center building for the Community Corrections office and that staff expect to take keys possibly in November as the council finalizes an appropriation.

The move matters because the building — described in the meeting both as 401 Plum Street and later as 401 West Jefferson Street — would give Community Corrections dedicated classroom space, a full kitchen and laundry room used previously for skills training, and roughly 1,800 square feet for the office; staff said the site is centrally located near the courthouse. Board members noted the address was stated inconsistently during the meeting and said they will confirm the official street address before public communications.

Beau, identified in the meeting as the director for Community Corrections, said the building will need interior improvements and some security work because “when you walk in the front door, you have access to the entire building.” He said the county commissioners plan to handle exterior repairs such as roof and parking-lot work and that interior improvements and ongoing utilities would be the office’s fiscal responsibility. He estimated the interior upgrades could reasonably be “under $100,000” but said the board would decide how to spend PI funds after contractor estimates are obtained.

Staff described a likely timeline that depends on the county appropriation process. One speaker said the county council’s final appropriation is scheduled the second Monday in November (noted in the meeting as Nov. 10), and staff said they intend to close shortly after that if the appropriation is approved. Because the current lease on their present space runs through the end of the year, staff also discussed the possibility of a short month-to-month extension of the current lease to bridge a transition period into the new building.

Board members and staff discussed features and constraints of the building: it has multiple conference/classroom spaces and a full kitchen and laundry room from its previous use for skills coaching, but only four small private offices. The director and other staff said they want to preserve a classroom large enough to host public classes without paying external rental fees and also must create private meeting rooms for clients.

Security was repeatedly emphasized as a primary interior design objective. One board member said retrofits must “set up divisions so that there’s safety for the workers there” and avoid situations where visitors or clients can freely access the entire interior. Staff also raised practical issues that must be resolved before full occupancy, including getting internet service to the building and reviewing two air-conditioning units; maintenance work on exterior systems would be handled by county maintenance per the meeting.

On funding, a speaker noted available county resources in jail-related funds and reserve funds that the council is using to finance the purchase; staff said interior work and ongoing utilities would come from the PI (Program Income) fund. The commission or council is expected to pay for exterior items (roof, parking), while the office will fund interior buildout and furnishings. Staff said they will obtain contractor estimates for phased options (minimal fixes to make the building usable immediately, and a fuller buildout to reach a long-term configuration) and then present those options and cost estimates to the advisory board for approval of PI fund expenditures.

Director Beau asked permission to have a contractor assess the building before closing; board members agreed staff should obtain contractor options and then return to the board with a spending plan. Staff also discussed creative ways to reduce buildout costs, including investigating whether clients with construction experience could safely do some interior work; that idea will require legal and liability review before any client work would be used.

Next steps identified in the meeting: confirm the building’s official street address for public notices; complete the council appropriation process in November; arrange contractor assessments to present phased interior-improvement options to the advisory board for approval of PI expenditures; and prioritize security modifications to protect staff.