To: County Board Members:

I spent time on the original "Citizens Advisory Council" to the County Jail project. We met several times over a 6 or 7 month period for about two hours each meeting.

It seems to me that "Advisory" must mean listening to the "powers that be" advise us on what things were happening between each meeting! That is exactly what happened.

Our advise was asked only when it came time to "sell" this project to the public. How can we best talk the public into buying into this very expensive project?? We were asked.

Expanding the TIP program was suggested but not taken seriously as a way to affect the building of a new jail. Suggestions of other programs: Mental Health Court, Youth Drug Court, and others were also discussed by some folks. Again, none were taken seriously as having any possible effect on the size for a new jail!

Objections to the location of this new jail received not a listen!! It seemed to be a "done deal"!! We were told that the location was a "done deal" because the County Board had voted on it!

Costs were discussed at length and that committee decided that if such a project were to be done, it should be done completely, all at once. The cost would have been in the neighborhood of 120 million dollars. However the cost of doing all of the buildings piecemeal over a fifteen or twenty year period could not even be estimated other than a guess of at least twice the 120 million.

Apparently the County Board decided to go with only the jail portion so the cost could be held under 60 million dollars. Our committee discussed that option also. Members of the committee discussed and knew that the total cost for just this jail project would probably be about one hundred million dollars. The public has not been told about the one hundred million. Nor has the public been told about the huge extra costs predicted to hire many additional staff people to make this new jail work.

This is not the way a democracy should work. Advisory Committees should have input into the meetings they are asked to attend. The public should have input through a referendum when such large costs are involved which will directly their taxes.

I ask, at this late date, for the County Board to call for a County-wide referendum on this Jail project and not simply rubber stamp the approval of this Hundred Million plus dollar project!

Thank you for your attention!

Peace,

Kenneth G. (Jerry) Foote