County looks for solutions to aging youth services center

Bartholomew County officials are wrestling with the future of the county’s youth services center as the aging facility needs replaced and that comes with a hefty price tag.

The County Council was updated this week on the behind the scenes discussions going on about what to do with the aging facility on the east side of Columbus. Councilman Mark Gorbett said that consultants are providing various options but a complete replacement of the facility could cost up to $20 million dollars.

Gorbett said that he and Council President Leah Beyer have been in meetings over the last month with the county judges, representatives of the center, architects. The initial proposals were for a 22 thousand square foot facility with the $20 million price tag, but the architects were asked to go back to find ways to reduce the size and cost.

The revised plans would call for a 17,000 square foot facility, and the county officials are looking at whether to keep it off of Illinois Avenue or find a new location in the community. After meeting with the county commissioners, the county could have three or four possible locations for a new facility. Those could involve a land swap with the city of Columbus or with Columbus Regional Health, Gorbett said.

The county is nearly done paying off its jail bond and the council will work with the auditor’s office to see what the county could afford without raising taxes.

The county has also looked at whether it should outsource its youth detention facilities to another community. But that raises concerns about shipping troubled youth out of the community and the future of county workers at the facility. Beyer said that there have also been concerns about what would happen to the local youth during a transition period while a new center is under construction.

The goal is to have a proposal in place by budget time, Gorbett said.

Photo courtesy of Bartholomew County