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Houghton County commissioners hear jail facility planning as Sharon Avenue option explored
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Summary
The board’s jail committee reported progress on using the Sharon Avenue property for county departments and jail needs; commissioners asked for recommended cell counts, space plans for MSU Extension, and cost-saving shared spaces before final decisions.
The Houghton County Board of Commissioners on April 6 heard updates from the jail committee as members continue evaluating the Sharon Avenue property and courthouse floor plans to address capacity and departmental needs.
The committee will provide formal reports at the next board meeting, Chairman Tom Tikkanen said. Commissioner Roy Britz said Sharon Avenue Properties will deliver a report and has met with engineering firm OHM and department heads; he added, “the sanctuary has to be beefed up” and “a firewall will have to be built,” referring to physical and separation needs for courthouse functions.
Faith Morrison urged the board to prioritize space required by the sheriff and corrections staff and to explore shared spaces to reduce costs. Commissioner Glenn Anderson said the board must identify space for the MSU Extension Office as part of any relocation. Sheriff Saaranen said he expects to present the recommended number of jail cells and a comparison to current capacity in forthcoming materials.
The discussion focused on defining the sheriff’s operational needs, determining cell-count recommendations, and clarifying which departments could move to Sharon Avenue to relieve courthouse congestion. No formal motion or vote was taken; the board directed the jail committee to bring detailed figures and plans to the next meeting for review.
Next steps: the jail committee will finalize its report and submit recommended cell counts and space plans for board consideration at the next regular meeting.