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Show By ROSELYN KIRK The 2.2 million, being held in escrow to repay hospital bonds, cannot be used for the construction of a public safety complex, according to County Attorney Milton Hess. But county commissioners talked about an alternate proposal, for a new jail. INSTEAD OF exploring additional ad-ditional avenues for the funding fund-ing of a $3.5 million public safety complex being proposed by Sheriff William "Dub" Lawrence, they said they will investigate the possibility pos-sibility of remodeling the present Sheriff's Office and jail. Commissioner C.E. Moss said the commission will get an architect to design a plan so that the old facility can be remodeled to provide the additional ad-ditional cells. Commissioner Glen Flint projected that 40 cells could be added to the portion of the building that presently houses the administrative ad-ministrative offices. He suggested sug-gested that new administrative administra-tive offices be added to the east side of the building. COMMISSIONERS estimated estimat-ed the cost of the remodeling project at about $500,000 and talked about the possibility of raising that amount through additional one mill levy, a year over a two year period. The levy of one mill increase in property taxes would raise $262,000. When that amount is extended for a two year period, $530,000 would be available for the remodeling, commissioners said. ALTHOUGH they discussed the matter, no official commitments com-mitments were made and commissioners did not say when or if an architect would be named. Sheriff Lawrence was not present during the discussion. Last week Sheriff Lawrence had proposed that the money available to purchase back the hospital bonds, now being held in escrow in banks, be used for the construction of a public safety complex. Sheriff Lawrence is proposing that the public safety building be built near the Burke's Lane interchange with I-15 and U.S. 89-91 in Farmington. AT THE time the proposal was made to use the money available in the hospital bonds, commissioners were not sure about the legality of using that money. Late last week, Commissioner Flint, after a conversation with the county attorney, said, 'There is no way to use the bonds unless we go back to the people for a re-vote." County Clerk Rodney Walker said the money to repay the bonds was placed in escrow and cannot be used for any other purpose. The money is not even included in the budget. THE BOND election to allow the county to sell bonds for the construction of the two hospitals was passed by Davis County citizens in June 1968. The county sold the first miHion in bonds in October of that year to buy the land for the hospitals and pay the architect's fee. In 1973 an additional ad-ditional $4.75 million in bonds were sold to pay for the hospitals. hos-pitals. After that bond sale, an agreement was made with a private corporation to build the hospitals, and the county began a process to buy back the bonds. Ken Newman, a representative of Burroughs and Smith Bonding Bond-ing agency, was hired by the county to repurchase whatever what-ever bonds he could trace. At the present time $2.2 million is still not redeemed and the money to repurchase is being held in escrow. COMMISSIONER Flint said the county "will have to leave the bonds alone" and go for another funding measure to expand the jail facilities. He said at the time the jail was constructed 15 years ago, it was considered one of the best jails available. But he admitted admit-ted that since that time the county has doubled in population and the facility is inadequate. Commissioners have agreed that an expanded jail facility and sheriff's office is a necessity, but have disagreed with Sheriff Lawrence on the necessity of a new building. He continues to point out that the public safety complex would provide the best option for the future. As proposed, the public safety complex would house some state and federal agencies and could provide money to the county through rentals to such state departments as the Utah Highway Patrol. COMMISSIONERS have said that the county can't afford af-ford the building unless a bond election is held. Commissioner Com-missioner Flint said that the 7.6 acres of land will cost about $170,000. The Utah Department of Transportation Transporta-tion (UDOT), which owns the land, has agreed to sell the property for that amount. Commissioners say the county can't afford that much money. Instead, commissioners said they anticipate purchasing purchas-ing land near the sheriff's office of-fice and the courthouse from two property owners for extra parking and a possible extension exten-sion of the sheriff's office. SHERIFF Lawrence in the past has opposed tliis proposal since he feels that the remodeling of the present site will add to the congestion of the area and will not meet future needs. The confrontations between the two parties have often erupted into name-calling as the gulf between the two offices of-fices appears to widen. |