Committee debates site options for new Justice Center; no decision

Committee members debated possible locations for a new Justice Center during the Capital Outlay Committee meeting in June 2026, but they made no formal decision and asked Saint John Engineering to present layout options at the next meeting.

The chair said the preliminary plan is to build the Justice Center in the area in front of the jail and that Scott from Saint John Engineering will present layout options at the next committee meeting. One committee member objected to the front-of-jail location as "too far out of town" and suggested siting the building behind the old jail, noting existing structures and property-use implications that would need to be considered.

The chair confirmed the county owns the land in the proposed front-of-jail site and said the engineering team will produce a layout showing possible sizes and the option to build up rather than be limited to a single floor. The committee agreed to review Scott’s presentation and discuss the matter further at the next meeting.