five-hour public hearing last week failed to

convince Fayette County commissioners of any need

to change course on plans for a new county jail

and courthouse, though they haven't slammed the

door shut just yet.

After

the dust settled from a sometimes rancorous

exchange that lasted almost until midnight last

Thursday, all five commissioners said this week

they haven't heard anything so far that will

change their minds.

"I'll

be voting to build it where it is, unless some

compelling reason occurs before then," said

Commissioner Greg Dunn. "I found no

compelling reasons" during the hearing, he

added.

The

biggest obstacle for opponents to overcome in

trying to convince commissioners to change the

location of the jail and courthouse seems to be

that moving the jail, the courthouse or both to a

different location would entail the loss of the

current facility.

The

commission's plan is to use the existing jail and

courthouse, on Johnson Avenue between Jimmie

Mayfield Boulevard and Lee Street (plus

additional land purchased last year), to build a

new $60 million complex.

"I

haven't put a pencil to it, but it would probably

cost $25 million more if we moved to a new

location," said Commissioner Herb Frady in

an interview Monday. It's not just the loss of

the current facility to build onto, but also the

cost of tearing down the concrete and steel

structure, he said.

"To

tear that jail down would cost a ton of

money," said Frady.

Prior

to last week's public hearing, commission

Chairman Harold Bost said commissioners wouldn't

change the plan unless presented with

"compelling arguments."

Opponents

and supporters of the plan paraded to a

microphone last Thursday following an hour-long

presentation by county officials. A

question-and-answer period was scheduled,

followed by an invitation for anyone present to

comment on the plan for up to three minutes.

Most

of those stating their opinions during the

comment period were in favor of the commission's

plan.

But

long before the comment period arrived at almost

11 p.m., more than half of the crowd of 300 that

jammed the County Commission meeting room had

filed out, many muttering their belief that plans

for the jail are a "done deal."

One

resident expressed the feelings of many

opponents. "It's a done - D-u-n-n

- deal," said Jim Futral, who said the

current jail is "only yards from my

neighborhood." He was making a joking

reference to Commissioner Dunn, jail committee

member and the plan's most vocal advocate in

recent months, and the comment drew laughter from

most of those present.

Commissioners

expect to make a final decision on the location

for the jail in 30 to 60 days, Bost said during

the public hearing. Then, he said, the jail

project will be a "done deal."

Bost

said he is waiting for a list of professionally

sanctioned criteria for jail locations from the

Georgia Sheriff's Association.

"I'm

going to wait until I get that and review those

criteria, and then make one final review of my

notes, and then I'll be ready to vote," he

said, adding he hopes to have his mind made up by

the end of the week.

"It's

not a done deal in my mind," said

Commissioner Glen Gosa. "I'm still

evaluating everything. I want to remain open and

take into account everything I've heard."

Gosa

said when commissioners originally began planning

the massive project at the current site, they

made two assumptions.

"I

assumed we were building a facility that would be

safe to the public and its employees," he

said. "If I can hear evidence that it is not

safe, that would be a compelling reason to

reconsider.

"Another

assumption is that this is the most economical

plan we could come up with. If I hear something

that tells me it's not the most economical route,

that would be something that would be

compelling," he added.

Gosa

said thus far he hasn't heard anything that

convinces him of either, "but I won't

complete my review until I've heard from the last

person that has anything to present."

Frady

said he also is still keeping an open mind, but

none of the arguments presented last Thursday

have convinced him.

"Thirty-six

people spoke against the plan," he said.

"They probably all bought their homes while

the jail was there."

Commissioner

Linda Wells echoed the idea that moving to a new

site would mean "bringing the nuisance to

the people." At the current site, most

people moved to their homes in spite of the jail

being there. "They moved to the

nuisance," she said during the hearing.

"I

didn't find any compelling reason to change my

mind" during the hearing, she said this

week. "I would have had to have heard some

reason that... there would be a huge public

safety problem for the surrounding neighborhood.

The new jail will be farther away from people

than currently," she said.

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