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Commissioners ask staff to explore county juvenile justice building as possible public safety facility
Summary
Commissioners asked staff to gather information and engage the county on the possibility of using the county's juvenile justice building for some police administration and public safety functions; no decision was made and staff agreed to circulate building data and prepare preliminary feasibility notes.
Commissioners directed staff to gather information and begin preliminary conversations with Bay County about the county'owned juvenile justice building as a potential site for public safety functions, such as administration, certain operations and training.
The discussion began when Commissioner Street raised a time-sensitive email from a stakeholder and said the city should at least "explore" what a transfer or partnership might look like. Commissioners noted the building has been on the market and that the interior has been stripped in places, making conversion potentially costly.
City staff said they would collect building data and circulate it to the commission. Mr. Zimmerman offered to draft a letter of interest to the county to initiate formal conversations with the county administrator. "I'm happy to draft a letter of interest tomorrow and send it over to Mr. Schubert and start that conversation," Mr. Zimmerman said, describing the step as an information-gathering inquiry rather than a commitment to acquire the property.
Commissioners emphasized several constraints: they would likely not be able to move impound lots or the gun range into a residential neighborhood, the county building will need significant renovation, and any final proposal would require a clear cost estimate and a program plan for which police functions could be relocated. Several members requested site walk-throughs of both the juvenile building and the existing police station before deciding whether to pursue the idea further.
The commission did not vote or take formal action at the meeting. Staff said it would circulate available documentation and provide a preliminary feasibility overview at an upcoming meeting or in the commission's projects-and-tasks update.
