Teton County board weighs exit from Five-County juvenile detention center, delays final decision

Teton County commissioners spent the majority of a Jan. 25 special meeting debating whether to announce an intent to leave the Five-County (5C) Juvenile Detention Center and how to manage the financial and operational consequences.

The board did not take a final vote but agreed to meet again Friday, Jan. 30, to consider formal action. S3, who presented the staff memorandum, urged the board to give “formal intent to leave” as a way to preserve options while allowing other counties to respond: “what I propose is that we basically give them the formal intent to leave, and that gives them the opportunity to try to win us back” (S3, SEG 181–188). S1 described continued membership as “a bad deal for us. Real bad deal” (S1, SEG 037–040), arguing the county was paying for capacity it did not use.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the county’s continuing share of the 5C budget could be substantial and—given low utilization—might not be cost-effective. S3 reported the center’s operating budget is about $1.3 million (SEG 088–092). Speakers cited a range of possible per‑county shares and per-diem costs: for example, one calculation using $105 per day and a 12-inmate daily average produced an annual figure near $460,000 (S5, SEG 400–404). S1 and others also noted a $210 per‑day figure for adult inmates mentioned during discussion (S1, SEG 351).

What the board discussed: Options included staying and trying to sell the facility later, selling immediately, or converting one wing to an adult jail to share staff and operating costs. S2 asked staff to obtain numbers on what it would take to convert one wing into an adult jail while keeping the other wing as juvenile detention (SEG 224–229). Board members also discussed equity in the facility: S4 stated Teton County holds approximately 9.5% equity (SEG 235–236), and speakers referenced a roughly $6 million insured value for the facility, with about $2 million in reserves (SEG 251–256, SEG 623–625).

Board members flagged legal and timing constraints. Staff and counsel (Bailey, referenced SEG 807) told the board that Teton County’s copy of the agreement appears to require a decision by Feb. 1, while other counties’ documents show a May 1 date; the board agreed to treat Feb. 1 as the safe deadline unless counsel advises otherwise (SEG 868–880). S3 recommended using an announcement of intent to leave to buy time: announcing intent does not immediately end membership, but starts the notice process (SEG 181–189).

Dissent and uncertainty: Several commissioners worried about losing equity if other counties moved first. Speakers noted a recent one-time revenue receipt (about $387,000) that would not repeat, and cautioned against relying on that when forecasting ongoing revenue (SEG 742–751). Commissioners also acknowledged variability in juvenile counts—some years are outliers—and that the center has reduced treatment services in recent years, shifting toward detention operations (SEG 339–346, SEG 511–520).

Next steps and timeline: The board directed staff (S2 asked Clint specifically) to prepare cost and conversion estimates and scheduled a follow-up special meeting for Friday, Jan. 30 at 8:30 a.m. to consider formal action (SEG 214–226, SEG 981–987). No formal resignation or withdrawal was recorded at the Jan. 25 meeting; S3 emphasized the purpose of this meeting was to inform and prepare for that follow-up (SEG 905–912).

Clarifying details: Teton County’s stated equity share in the facility: 9.5% (S4, SEG 235–236). Facility operating budget discussed: approximately $1.3 million (S3, SEG 088–092). Reported reserve: about $2,000,000 (S3, SEG 623–625). Per‑diem examples cited: $105/day (used by S5 for a calculation, SEG 400–404) and $210/day (S1, SEG 351). The board was repeatedly cautious that some figures (for sale value, recurring revenue) are estimates and that a prior one-time receipt should not be treated as recurring revenue (SEG 742–751).

Quote samples (attributed as spoken in the meeting):
- S1: "It's a bad deal for us. Real bad deal." (SEG 037–040)
- S3: "What I propose is that we basically give them the formal intent to leave, and that gives them the opportunity to try to win us back." (SEG 181–188)
- S5 (cost example): "$105 a day, 12 inmates a day... it's 460,000." (SEG 400–404)

What’s next: The board will reconvene on Jan. 30 to consider formal action after staff provides more precise conversion and cost estimates. The discussion on Jan. 25 preserved options but produced no binding decision.