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Portage County board votes to exclude juvenile detention center from new jail plans
Summary
The board approved a resolution to exclude a juvenile detention center from schematic designs for the new jail and law enforcement center after hearing the sheriff and supervisors discuss low juvenile census, contract options with Marathon County and high local construction costs estimated at $10–$20 million plus staffing.
The Portage County Board approved a resolution to exclude a juvenile detention center from schematic designs for the proposed jail and law enforcement center after supervisors and the sheriff discussed capacity, costs and alternatives.
During debate, supervisors expressed concern about committing to a costly juvenile facility given a low local juvenile population. The sheriff told the board that studies show Portage County’s juvenile population averages roughly 0.5 to 1.2 over a 10‑year period and that contracting with Marathon County has been a viable alternative: "There is a group that went up and studied it ... it's a modern facility ... the contract for Marathon County would be, I believe ... $250 a day, contracted, for the juvenile inmate, with a guarantee of that one bed for Portage County," the sheriff said.
The sheriff and building committee also provided a local construction estimate: "The estimates from the building committee was between 10 and $20,000,000 for the facility plus another additional million dollars for 9 to 11 staff," he said. Supervisors noted that the Marathon County facility includes indoor and outdoor recreation and that contracting may be more cost‑effective given the county's projected juvenile census.
Some supervisors asked whether designs could preserve future flexibility to add a juvenile unit if circumstances changed; the chair said schematic plans include a site in Plover that could accommodate a future juvenile facility if the board decided to pursue it later.
The motion to adopt the resolution was offered and seconded, followed by a voice vote; the board approved the resolution to exclude a juvenile detention center from current construction plans.
The action sets policy for schematic design but does not foreclose future decisions; board members indicated they have preserved a site and some design flexibility to add juvenile facilities if the county’s needs or funding environment changes.
