By Rich Larson, News Director
In a work session next Tuesday, the Rice County Board of Commissioners will hear a presentation for supplemental
information from the Jail Study Task Force regarding options for a new Rice County Jail.
In 2019, the Department of Corrections notified the county that the current jail is inadequate and must be replaced. The task force has made a thorough study of all options and recommended to the Board of Commissioners that a new jail and law Enforcement Center be built, at a cost of anywhere from $45 to $60 million dollars.
The Department of Corrections has said the current jail lacks enough space for programming and recreation. Rice County Sheriff Troy Dunn agrees with that assessment and believes the county does need a new facility. He said the concept of putting a person in jail and the reasons behind that have evolved over the years. Society has learned that jail shouldn’t be as much a punishment as it should be an opportunity for a person to put their life back on the right track.
“We’re trying to [help people change] so they don’t want to come back [to jail.] And that they can get the programs that they need, the treatment that they need, so that we can put them back out in the community, and help them to be positive, interactive community minded people. And they can be good parents again. We want them to have the tools they need to succeed.”
Sheriff Dunn said that the area they have for programming, therapy and education is one small room, which is not enough space, and that is just one of the reasons a new jail needs to be built. This is the sixth time Rice County has done a jail study since 1975 when the current jail opened, and he said every study has warned if action was not taken at that time, the cost of building a new jail would only go up. He said the same principle is in play right now and putting this off for another five years will only add to the cost.
Sheriff Dunn said he is hopeful the board will make its final decision this month.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Sheriff Troy Dunn can be heard here
Strategic plan will address housing shortage
Last week, Northfield Housing Coordinator Melissa Hanson said that the housing shortage in Northfield is a severe problem and must be dealt with on a number of different levels. On Tuesday night, the Northfield City Council and city staff made Housing Availability one of the chief categories in the city’s new strategic plan, committing to housing as a priority for the next few years.
Hanson said last week that the vacancy rate in Northfield is currently 0.1%, which leaves virtually no room for movement or opportunity. It was also pointed out that a housing shortage like this one can constrain a local economy, giving local business little room for growth because they cannot hire from outside of the area.
Hanson said that Northfield needs housing on all different levels from affordable housing and rentals to high level homes. And while the city has concentrated on creating more affordable housing in recent years, City Administrator Ben Martig said that philosophy is changing.
“By creating different types of housing, we can create move-up opportunities. Vacancies are left open if people move, let’s say, into a different type of home. So, we really are broadening our strategy around housing beyond that. We’re still going to focus on areas where the market doesn’t achieve quite as much. So, we’ll continue to do projects that we do as a city and our HRA that work as well, but we’ll broaden that.”
The city’s commitment to prioritizing a wider range of housing became apparent during Tuesday’s planning session. Within the category of Housing Availability, the council and staff set goals to increase the quantity of housing at all levels, find more ways to create affordable housing, and maintain good regulation on quality rental housing.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with City Administrator Ben Martig can be heard here
Lippert says paid sick time is needed
Last week the state Houe of Representatives passed a bill that would require employers to allow all employees to
earn and accrue paid sick time.
The bill would stipulate that all workers earn one hour of sick time for every thirty hours worked and would allow employees at least two sick days every year.
Representative Todd Lippert said there are currently more than 900,000 workers without access to paid sick time. He said that means they do not have access to an afternoon off to go to the doctor, or to care for a sick child home from school, and in Minnesota workers who do take time off for such things can be fired. He said, in the face of a global pandemic, this is a key protection for working Minnesotans.
“We have this bill in place. We would join thirteen other states in having legislation that requires employers to allow workers to accrue sick time over the course of a year. We think this is a key protection for workers. We need time in the short-term to be able to care for ourselves and our families.”
Republicans say the bill is ill timed. With so many people struggling through the Covid-19 pandemic, it is wrong to add more requirements and restrictions to small businesses.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Representative Todd Lippert can be heard here
