Week of  3/13/02
   
 
 
Candidates give views on justice center
SMN

Editor’s note: Since it figures to play such a crucial role in the upcoming county board election, The Smoky Mountain News tried to contact all county commission candidates to ask them their views on the justice center and whether the current county board should continue with the project or await a new set of commissioners. Of the 16 candidates, all except George Young returned our calls. Here’s what they said:


Democrats

° Joe Edwards — “First, we need to build a jail and get the sheriff’s department and the inmates out of the historic courthouse. Then we need to look at the space we have, see what needs there are for the justice center and go from there,” said Edwards. “And we need to keep in mind this community and build what we can afford.”

As for the current board continuing with the project, “I wouldn’t speak for them. I do think we need to take a long, hard look at what we need and what we can afford.”

° Mary Ann Enloe (incumbent) — Enloe supports building a new jail in the Hazelwood area, excavating the existing jail in the courthouse to determine how much space would become available, and then determining what size justice center to build.

She thinks the current board should stop proceeding with the project until some new studies are completed.

“There is such a discrepancy in figures between the Administrative Office of the Courts and the Geisler report,” she said. “We don’t have accurate information, so we are not ready to build this because we don’t know what we need.”

° Wade Francis (incumbent) — Francis advocates building the jail first and then beginning a renovation of the courthouse.

“We need to do that to see just what it is we really need,” said Francis.

Francis, who has several times sought to have a referendum on how the project will be financed, thinks the public should also have a vote on the entire project.

“No, I don’t think this ought to be pushed through. We ought to give people the chance to have a say so,” he said.

° Jim Howell — “I know we need it and we need a new jail, but the plan being looked at now is too expensive,” said Howell.

Howell suggested the county might be able to make use of the old Hazelwood School as a court facility.

° Kirk Kirkpatrick — “The project needs to continue under reasonable terms and conditions. If it does not the environment around us could change. Interest rates are at a low right now and will probably increase. A one point increase could cost taxpayers $2.2 million on a $22 million project,” wrote Kirkpatrick in a response to the questions.

“... There is a desperate need for a Justice Center and Jail. Currently there are three different locations for court, an inadequate jail as determined by a grand jury, an annex building, and cramped, deteriorating government offices. In most communities the courthouse is the centerpiece and you can tell a great deal about that community from the courthouse’s function and aesthetics. This is a great county and should have an attractive, accessible, functional courthouse.

“You cannot make everyone happy and if you attempt to do so you end up with a mess. Reasonable, thoughtful decisions must be made for the best interests of the county and then you move on ...,” wrote Kirkpatrick.

° John McCracken — “What I’d like to see is to go to Hazelwood and construct some jail facilities. Then we can clear out the courthouse and start some renovation work there,” said McCracken. “I don’t think the current building, and the superior courtroom, are ready to be drydocked. I’d like to continue to see it used for Superior Court.”

“The whole process was done wrong. From the start they were under the assumption the public would not approve. They should have developed two or three scenarios — keeping it downtown, building the jail first, moving everything to a new location — got cost estimates, then let the public vote on it.”

“I think the decision to move ahead on the parking deck may have been premature,” said McCracken.

° Cecil Patton — “We really need this thing. We need a whole lot of new courtrooms, but I believe they are planning to spend too much on this,” said Patton. “I think the county should really let the public tell them what they want.”

° Albert Rhodes — “We need to build it at the site of the current courthouse, build it four stories tall with a parking deck, and put the jail downtown.

“We need to get to work on this. There is no need to wait. This is a real need.”

° Mark Swanger — “I’m not advocating a specific plan. However, the grand jury’s report certainly adds credence to the belief by many that the jail problem is immediate. We could build a jail and solve that problem, then vacate the jail space in the current courthouse and begin renovations there.”

“They should stop and not make this a race to get it going before the election,” said Swanger, referring to the need for the current board to not take further action on the project. “They should not attempt to commit future boards because of the controversy surrounding it.”

° Jim Weatherman said he is against spending money the county doesn’t have, and he thinks the plans currently being discussed are too extravagant.

“We don’t need to build a great big new justice center at this time. It would be nice to have, but we don’t really need it, and to say we do is to adopt a cavalier attitude with tax money. We can make do with what we have and some renovations.

“The decision should be tabled until a new bunch is in office, said Weatherman.


Republicans

° Mark Clasby — “I think the new justice center needs to be on a smaller scale than what is being proposed,” said Clasby. “It’s clear that the people of Haywood County want a smaller building, something more on the scale of 75,000 square feet with fewer courtrooms. I am also concerned with the cost per square foot, and I think we can reduce it.”

“The existing board is certainly within their right to proceed with this, but I think they should listen to what’s being said and perhaps be a little more cautious. Unfortunately, it is this decision-making process that many of us have questioned.”

° Kevin Ensley — “I think it should be down towards Branner Avenue. I think Warren Gresham had some great ideas. The plan being looked at now overshadows the existing courthouse. It’s just a lot larger than what the people want.

“Also, by building on Branner we can re-duce Main Street traffic, which is a problem.”

Ensley also said that commissioners might be wise to wait until the election because so many people think the current plan is too large. “It might be best to sit down at the table and redo it,” said Ensley.

° Donna Forga — “To be honest, I don’t have enough information. I do work with people who are put in a difficult situation because of having a courtroom in Canton and one at the old Dayco hall. I see judges walking through a crowded courtroom and that’s not really safe,” said Forga.

She did say, though, that the current board was “empowered” to continue with the project since they were elected four years ago to do a job. “They don’t need to put it off,” she said.

° Stanley Metcalf — “Personally, I don’t think we need it. I think we should just fix what we have,” said Metcalf. “We could add on to the courthouse and build just a one- or two-deck garage.”

° Josh Wilkey — The plan Wilkey supports is the one put forth by architect Warren Gresham, which would put the new justice center along Depot Street and incorporate a series of storefront facades to imitate the look that already exists on Main Street.

“I’ve always thought it should be downtown, and I don’t think the plans currently being offered by the county’s architects work,” said Wilkey. “The 104,000-square-feet plan is completely ridiculous and the 95,000-square-feet plan is almost twice as big as what is needed.

“I think it would be in the best interest of all in Haywood County if the board just held off until after the election,” said Wilkey.