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| Mary Souza |
Beyond sticker shock: Make them prove it
Kootenai County Jail officials and the Coeur d'Alene School District are forced to talk to the public, whether they want to or not. They must convince us to vote for their levies or bond issues in order to fund any new buildings or major changes. That's how the system is designed to work.
We all know what happened with the Coeur d'Alene School District and its two past levy failures. Now, under new leadership, it has been reaching out to the community through open meetings, gathering input and changing methods to provide a more transparent and responsive organization. They are building trust.
Kootenai County has a big challenge ahead. The jail is in need of expansion and the jail administration building is seriously out of space. I know this because I took the tour last week. The staff in both areas were professional and gracious, going out of their way to explain everything and answer all questions. The willingness of the officers to answer and explain is similar to the Coeur d'Alene School District's recent efforts to engage the public and improve their public relationship. It's the right thing to do, but the system also encourages that behavior.
The proposed jail bond will be a very tough sell. It has an enormous price tag, coming in at $145 million for an intricate complex of multiple buildings. But there are detailed drawings. There is a financing plan. And there are officers ready to explain every bit of the proposal.
My tour convinced me that the need is real; substantial expansion and technical updates are long past due. The last jail bond levy failed by only a few hundred votes and stands as evidence to the importance of engaging and educating the public.
So I asked about public meetings. Jail officials explained they are currently taking their proposal to city councils all over the county. Additionally, they plan to have open, public meetings with unregulated questions and plenty of time to discuss the details. Interested voters can take tours of the current jail and administration buildings, where staff will explain the capacities and show the need for upgrades. And they are anxious to teach the public about the cost of the new facilities, the financial impact to citizens and how sales tax from tourists can help pay for the plan.
This type of outreach is a great move in the right direction. It stands in refreshing contrast to some other public institutions in our community that do not respect the taxpayers. These groups hold back information and try to avoid the voters with roundabout funding schemes. The dollars still end up coming out of our pockets, we just have no voice.
So, even though the new jail bond price tag is enough to take your breath away, let's keep an open mind. Jail officials are coming to us for permission. They need to convince us it's worth the cost; that the benefits will outweigh the discomfort of paying more. And that they will use our money in the most efficient, effective manner possible.
Let's look beyond the sticker shock and give them a chance to prove it. Then we can go to the polls in November more educated and able to vote for our best option.
Mary Souza is a 20-year resident of Coeur d'Alene, local small business owner and former P&Z Commissioner. Her opinions are her own. For a free archive of past columns visit www.marysouzaCoeur d'Alene.com. Comments: marysouzaCoeur d'Alene@gmail.com. Please visit the local issues Web site www.OpenCoeur d'Alene.com for more discussion.
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Dear Insider wrote on Aug 18, 2008 8:32 AM:
Insider wrote on Aug 15, 2008 8:57 PM:
settlement wrote on Aug 14, 2008 6:35 AM:
That fact was conveniently swept under the rug when she was hired. "
Insider wrote on Aug 12, 2008 8:37 PM:
Souzas Always right wrote on Aug 12, 2008 8:34 PM:
Niles wrote on Aug 12, 2008 4:32 PM:
You describe what the cells are like now. What are the proposed cells like in the $145 million new jail going to be like? Whatever they're like it is indoors, dry, warm and prisoners do not go hungry. If they get sick it is off to the infirmary. Need surgery, then it gets taken care of. Consider the jail in Arizona where tents are used for housing, prisoners work on chain gangs and wear pinks jump suits.
By all means jail administration and personnel deserve proper facilities in order to conduct their duties efficiently and safely. But prison life should be beyond austere, practically nightmarish. One week in our prison and criminals should be anxious to behave or be anxious to get out of town to a city where the jails are nicer. And we should have the cleanest highways on the planet from pickup crews dressed in day glow green and wearing shock collars. Why they could even repair the city sidewalks. "
Mary Souza wrote on Aug 12, 2008 1:51 PM:
What struck me is the need for upgraded facilities, not for the inmates, but for the staff in order to do their jobs well. The evidence room is tiny and horribly out of date, packed to overflowing with drug and gun evidence. The storage and retrieval of important records are highly inefficient. No modern business would function with the old, fragmented system in place at the jail admin. building. And confidentiality? Well imagine how private any conversation or investigation can be when the desk cubicles are pushed tightly together and a public walkway cuts right through the middle.
As General Manager for 12 years of our 25 year-old business, I was imagining how many man-hours and how many personnel positions are wasted in this type of inefficient process. I'd rather have more deputies on the streets than running around trying to find reports in a convoluted system or get evidence from a room that looks impossible.
That being said, is the proposed bond of $145 million too big? Is it all fully necessary? Will it be the best use of our tax dollars right now? Those are some of the important questions that must be answered by the officials at the jail. That's their job and that's responsible public process. "
Niles wrote on Aug 12, 2008 9:27 AM:
Another thing that the jail officials need to understand is that voters have little sympathy for those convicted of committing serious enough crimes to be imprisoned. They feel that jail should be punishment, harsh and barely tolerable. Prisoners should not want to return to jail. Many voters have a hard enough time keeping their homes warm in winter and families fed. Most have no health insurance at all. Yet our prisoners get clothed, housed, fed and free healthcare (including dental). With the exception of their lost freedom prisoners enjoy lives most voters envy. It is known that some criminals commit crimes intentionally in order to be taken care of.
Hard sell indeed.......... "
Oh my wrote on Aug 11, 2008 10:53 PM:
Mary Souza wrote on Aug 11, 2008 8:17 PM:
The school district cut corners and did not educate the public about the levy. They did not convince us the cost was worth it. Now, under new leadership, I think their relationship with the public will improve.
Rad Rev--I agree that the County needs impact fees! I'm not sure why they are dragging their heels on this notion. The cities have had them in place for many years. The jail is a huge tax burden, made much worse by growth, and we all have to shoulder the cost in some way. Transparency is essential. "
Souzas Always Right wrote on Aug 11, 2008 3:32 PM:
RadRevD wrote on Aug 11, 2008 10:17 AM:
The tourists still get to pay if we bond on the new facility. The increased taxes on business will be passed on to visitors. The bite would impact our part-time residents effectively as the sales tax they pay while in the area would be a fraction of the tax increase to pay off the bond.
What about impact fees on new growth. The main reason for the expansion is current growth and our county's ability to absorb inmated being released from IDOC. Intent exists to establish half-way houses for 12 parolees in residential neighborhoods. Recidivism is a fact of life and places strain on our infrastructure. These commercial operations also violate our Comprehensive Plan and Neighborhood Character.
Rapid expansion and our loss of community to achieve a Sense of Place permits the criminal element to hide in plain sight until they are caught.
I agree that our facilities need expansion. Can we get a line by line audit on the past expansion? One individual asserts that the final price tag was padded by $$$Millions. "
Mary Souza wrote on Aug 10, 2008 10:32 AM:
Your question is a very good one, however, and when the public meetings are announced, I hope you'll attend and ask them to explain this point to everyone.
I'm still gathering information and reviewing the plan. Public meetings will help us all gain more insight and weigh the benefits vs. costs. That's all I'm saying: let's stay open to the request until we get the info.
Thanks for your viewpoint. "
just wondering wrote on Aug 10, 2008 7:54 AM:
To dear insider wrote on Aug 19, 2008 6:53 PM:
Discussions that take place in ES should stay in ES. Professional behavior is part of the job description. "