Panel of residents picked to study jail issues

FARMINGTON — Sheriff Bud Cox has completed the selection of a residents committee to study the issue of expanding the Davis County Jail and make a recommendation about whether the jail should be expanded and when a bond election should be held.

The 15-member committee is headed by Paul Barker, Farmington, who hopes to begin meetings in the next two weeks.

Other members of the committee are: John Petroff Jr., West Point; Neal Humphrey, Layton; Susan Holmes, Farmington; Glen Cella, Farmington; Morton Sparks, Clearfield; Ann Kagie, Woods Cross; David Connors, Farmington; Judge Michael Alphin, Farmington; David Turner, South Ogden; Scott Quiney, Layton; George Diumenti, Bountiful; John Hoffman, Farmington; Lee Secrist, Bountiful; and Wayne Bone, Bountiful.

Building a $25 million jail addition has been a source of controversy in Davis County, where the three county commissioners gave final approval to a 24 percent tax increase this week. The commissioners hired a Georgia consulting firm in May to study whether a jail expansion was needed. The contract with Facility Program Management Inc., of Smyrna, Ga., is for $49,920.

In April, Cox said the problem of jail overcrowding was so serious he asked police agencies to cite and release nonviolent offenders involved in minor crimes. The 376-bed jail has often been full and has had to have inmates sleep on the floor.

Chief Deputy Kevin McCloud said Thursday the sheriff is expecting to have the committee complete its work no later than early to mid-October.

Commission Chairman Dannie McConkie said there has been pressure from some residents to hold off on a bond election until the presidential election in November 2004, rather than have one this November that is a municipal-only election in Davis County, or have a special election in the spring.

"Until a needs assessment comes in we won't know of the need for an addition," McConkie said. "We'll wait for a recommendation from Mr. Barker's team and the sheriff. The sheriff feels a sense of urgency and I share that myself, but we have to do it right, whatever that is."

McConkie said a vote in the spring, if one is needed, might be better than having a November election, whether this year or next. "We had the fluoride vote in a presidential election and it still created a lot of criticism."

He said there seems to be no consensus among county residents he's talked to whether an election would be best in November or in the spring.

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