A proposal to purchase a building in downtown Pine Bluff for the sheriff’s department will be considered by the Jefferson County Quorum Court when it meets in committees on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
In November, the county’s legislative body told County Judge Mike Holcomb they wanted options to a request by Sheriff Gerald Robinson to build a new two story building adjacent to the adult jail. That proposal called for spending about $1.7 million and would have permitted only the Criminal Investigation Division to move from their present location on Main Street.
Other phases of the building would have been added later when funds were available. The total cost of the project was projected to be between $3.2 million and $3.4 million, which did not include landscaping and had only a small parking lot.
According to a letter from Holcomb to Dr. Herman Ginger, chairman of the Public Safety/Emergency Services Committee, a 22,000 square foot building owned by A.W. Nelson and located at 200 E. 11th Ave., is available for about the same price as the first phase of the new sheriff’s building, or $1.7 million.
Holcomb said the building has four acres of property and 88 paved parking spaces.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Architect Richard Taylor, who designed the proposed new building, will be at the committee meetings Tuesday to answer questions and show the justices of the peace the layout of the building, Holcomb said.
“Moving the CID and Patrol Office is our immediate concern,” Holcomb said in the letter. “We want to find a solution as quickly as possible.”
Currently, the Patrol Division is also located in a building on Main Street.
In other business, committees will consider several appropriation ordinances involving grant funds including;
• A proposed ordinance to establish a $43,321 budget for 2012 for the Fire Prevention and Safety Grant Program.
• A proposed $31,591.30 ordinance for the FINS (Families In Need of Supervision) and Truancy Fund to pay part-time truancy officers with the funds coming from the Pine Bluff, Watson Chapel, Dollarway and White Hall school districts.
• A proposed ordinance that would transfer $28,000 remaining in the 2011 grant from the Arkansas Department of Human Services and Juvenile Accountability Fund to the FINS and Truancy Grant Fund.
• A proposed $11,324.36 appropriation using funds from the State Homeland Security Grant Fund that were not spent in 2011.