Greene County has now taken possession of the former Midland Power Cooperative office on E. Lincoln Way east of the cemetery. The county sheriff’s office will move there soon, but at this point it’s not certain the Jefferson police department will move there, too.
The county supervisors held a special meeting July 15 to approve an addendum to the purchase agreement with Midland Power for the building. The addendum was for a minor change that had Midland Power picking up some of the associated costs of the purchase in exchange for the county paying 3.0 interest for the first year of the installment loan. The interest will be 2.2222 in the remaining nine years of the loan.
Sheriff Jack Williams said the county would take possession that day.
However, during discussion prior to the agreement county attorney Thomas Laehn alerted the supervisors that the city of Jefferson has not responded to a draft of an amended 28E agreement for the joint operation of the Law Enforcement Center, the intended use of the Midland Power building.
The joint operating agreement has been in effect since 1972, Laehn reminded the supervisors. He said he sent a draft of an updated agreement to Jefferson city attorney David Morain in January. He heard back from Morain in April that the city had questions, but has not heard more since then.
Laehn said he heard “second hand” that the city has concerns with “substantive parts of the agreement.”
The joint agreement was on the city council’s June 13 agenda, but was taken off without explanation. Laehn wanted to be sure the county intended to move the sheriff’s office to the new building even if the Jefferson PD did not make the move.
Board chair John Muir said he was disappointed, that “the county has done what it can in the best interests of Jefferson to keep the Jefferson PD viable,” but that with our without the PD, “We’re moving. That’s how it’s going to happen.”
City attorney Morain was not at the June 13 council meeting. City administrator Mike Palmer told GCNO after the supervisors’ special meeting that there were a couple of “minor items of responsibility” the city needs clarification on before signing the amended 28E agreement.
