Committee delays active pursuit of citywide facility study amid competing priorities with Greene County

Administrator Rindy told the Committee of Finance and Taxation on July 8 that staff is exploring a citywide facility study but does not recommend immediate action to pursue a joint public safety or dispatch center with Greene County.

Rindy said the county is prioritizing a jail expansion that requires relocating its highway department, and that "we really aren't recommending to proceed at this time with that," after discussions with the police chief and the facilities director, Jacobson. She said the city has concurrent priorities — a public works facility, wastewater treatment plant expansion and a senior-center feasibility study — that limit staffing and financial capacity.

The committee discussed whether Greene County plans to keep the jail within Monroe; attendees said the county’s plan is to move the highway department to permit jail expansion near the justice center, citing operational needs such as a tunnel connecting the jail and courthouse that reduces escorting demands. Rindy said those county timelines and resource needs do not align with the city’s current schedule.

Rindy presented options for Council direction: budget for a citywide study in 2025, keep the study in the strategic plan for later consideration, or defer until more staff and financial capacity are available (she suggested 2026 as a possible later window). She noted a comprehensive-plan update could help prioritize facility needs before starting a citywide study.

Committee members expressed concern about missing an opportunity but also about spreading staff and money too thin. After discussion the Chair and members indicated consensus to postpone active pursuit of a joint facility and to keep the citywide study on the strategic-plan horizon for later budgeting or study.

The committee did not adopt a formal motion or vote on this agenda item; Rindy’s recommendation to delay will remain in staff materials for future consideration.