Putnam Commission To Consider Additional Justice Center Parking

The Putnam County Commission will discuss Monday night the purchase of up to six properties around the Justice Center.

In a memorandum to the Commissioner’s Fiscal Review Committee. Mayor Randy Porter said architects and engineers suggest buying all the properties. They will be used for parking around the proposed Justice Center expansion. Commissioner Ben Rogers said the commission needs to make a decision by September as options are set to expire.

“Our sales tax and property tax is fueling our debt service, which is where we are going to purchase this land out of,” Rogers said. “We are going to borrow the couple million of dollars, or whatever it is, to purchase the land. If our sales tax numbers are good. Our property tax numbers are good. Then, we can make this purchase.”

Total price tag $2.1 million with the price of the sixth property unknown. Rogers said the commission in May committed to expanding the current jail facility. The expansion would remove about 100 parking spots.

“They do not want us to be land locked, and they do not want us to be limited on where the parking is going to be and how much growth we are going to have going forward,” Rogers said. “It has been a struggle to decide what to do where to put a jail. We need to take advantage of what is around us.”

Mayor Randy Porter said the money used will come from a short term loan with an interest rate around 1.5 percent. Porter said the bond for the jail addition would be added to the same loan.

“This is just for the property,” Rogers said. “We have not got into the issue of bonds for adding onto the jail. That is down the road. At least 12 months or even longer. We do not know the status we will be in long term. There is a big difference in paying two million dollars for land and 70 million dollars for a facility.”

The properties for sale are as listed: 538 East Spring St. (2 parcels), 613 East Broad St. (3 Parcels), 113 and 119 Locust Avenue (2 parcels), 127 Locust Avenue (1 parcel), 454 East Hudgens St. (1 parcel) and 116 South Lowe Avenue (Parcel).