Henry County commissioners to convene stakeholders on reuse of old jail as short-term resource center

Henry County commissioners discussed a local proposal to use the county's old jail building as a short‑term, live‑in resource center for people experiencing homelessness and agreed to convene stakeholders on March 24 to gather facts and options.

Darren, representing Project Homeless, told commissioners his group "houses 10 to 11 people" on average and that "six have now found placement," and he asked the commission to bring together city and county officials, health providers and service organizations to develop a plan. Commissioners said the initial meeting should be informational and limited to entities with decision‑making authority so the group could craft a game plan before involving the general public.

Commissioner Mark Larson said he wants the meeting to prioritize "facts and a solution," and stressed the county must identify legal constraints, public‑safety risks and options for site selection and operations before any public announcements. Commissioners and attendees debated whether to describe the project as a short‑term "resource center" rather than a "homeless shelter" to address downtown merchants' concerns about tourism events and activity on the square.

Participants raised operational questions that must be resolved before any reuse: who would pay for asbestos remediation of the old jail, whether the facility would permit overnight stays and for how long, how to prevent unintended concentrations of people near events and businesses, and whether accepting federal or state grants would impose obligations or change program governance. Darren said Project Homeless is pursuing nonprofit status (501(c)(3)) but that the IRS process can take months; commissioners noted some grants and donated resources require an established nonprofit to receive them.

Commissioners also discussed enforcement and civil‑rights limits. Several members noted local authorities have limited tools for moving people who are sleeping in public unless objective legal thresholds (for example, camping or obstruction ordinances) are violated. The commission agreed it must understand what the county and city may lawfully do and that any formal action would follow further study.

Logistics for the stakeholder meeting were set: the group plans to meet Tuesday, March 24 at 5:30 p.m. at the Rotary building. Commissioners said they will avoid making decisions at that session so attendance by multiple commissioners does not create a quorum issue under the sunshine law; the meeting is intended to collect information and return a report to the commission.

Separately, the board approved routine minutes from March 5 and expenditures for county departments after a motion by Commissioner Larson and a second by Commissioner Stone. The meeting concluded after a motion to adjourn.

What happens next: the commission directed organizers to assemble the invited stakeholders—law enforcement, health‑care providers (Compass Health was specifically named), the sheriff's office, Project Homeless, the Hope Project and city representatives—to present facts about site remediation, governance, operational rules and funding sources at the March 24 session. Commissioners said they expect a subsequent public briefing once they have a clearer set of options and legal guidance.