POUGHKEEPSIE – Dutchess
County legislators spent several hours Monday night probing issues that
will be on their minds for the next several months as they plan a replacement
for the antiquated county jail in the City of Poughkeepsie.
During a two-part session, they asked dozens of questions on the environmental determinations, then looked at financing.
Chazen Companies Engineer Christopher Lapine spent the first two hours on the environmental component. He noted, among many points, that there are no significant environmental issues that would hamper the project, planned for the site of the current jail.
“There are no wetlands adjoining this property,” Lapine said. “There are no flood ways on this property or flood plain on this property, and as a result of the decrease in impervious, we are going to decrease the amount of runoff being generated as a result of this project.”
He further noted that the proposal is less a modification of a site rather than a redevelopment of an existing use on the site.
Lapine said the same principle applies to other concerns raised, including impact on the surrounding area, and the Walkway access.
County Executive Marcus Molinaro addressed concerns over construction hours, noise and traffic by saying they have already discussed with Poughkeepsie officials their role as an ‘interested party’ in the process.
Then, there’s the decade-old pressure the county has been under from the state Commission on Corrections, a point noted by Jail Administrator George Krom, who reminded legislators they are living on borrowed time now.
“If we do not go forward and approve this bonding, the Commission will pull our variance to house inmates in the pods,” Krom said. “If that happens, we are going to bring our numbers back down to about 250 inmates in house, which will put another 150 back on the road.”
Meaning going back to the high cost of boarding inmates in other county jails and transporting them back and forth to Dutchess County.
Krom also noted the rapidly deteriorating conditions in the old jail.
On the bright side, the county is ahead of the curve in implementing alternatives to incarceration programs.
Kevin Warwick, a consultant with Alternative Solutions Associates, called Dutchess an “advanced county” on that point.
Molinaro said numbers bear that out.
“We have already diverted 60 percent of our inmate population from a jail setting to alternatives to incarceration,” the county exec noted.
A new facility keeps the county where it needs to be, said Molinaro.
Supporting that contention was county Budget Director Jessica White.
“Should we not move forward with a new Justice and Transition Center, we will have to put money into the existing facility to make it sound and to maintain it,” White said.
The early estimated price tag for the Justice and Transition Center is about $192 million.
White tried to ease some concern over the financial impact by noting that with debt service coming off in the next five years, the net increase will be only $4.3 million in added debt service.
The County Legislature is expected to take action on both issues later this month.
Teen reported shot in Beacon Thursday night
May 3, 2024
