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Grants Pass continues to buy jail beds Friday Feb 3, 2017 at 11:47 AM Feb 3, 2017 at 11:47 AM By Troy Shinn Grants Pass Daily Courier Grants Pass City Council narrowly renewed a year-to-year jail contract with Josephine County, but only after a lengthy debate. The contract, which began in August 2013 and has been renewed every year since, leases 28 county jail beds to the city's Department of Public Safety, allowing for more offenders to stay in jail rather than being cited and released. This is the fifth consecutive year the city has rented extra beds after budget cuts in 2012 caused deep layoffs at the Sheriff's Office, which now operates the 262-bed county jail at half capacity. It would operate at an even lower level if not for the contract with the city. Without the contract, the county would operate the jail at a level of about 100 inmates. In a presentation to the council, Public Safety Director Bill Landis said the contract allows the city to use its 28 beds to house lower-level offenders who would otherwise be cited and released. With more cuts looming to the Sheriff's Office, which operates the jail, the number of inmates may be reduced even further. "I have some concerns on getting the same bang for our buck if there are going to be cuts on the county side," Landis said. "If there's a reduction, I may be putting people into those (28) beds that would (currently) have gone into other 100 beds." The city pays $972,000 for the contract, which for the past three years has been generated by a utility fee added to city water bills. Officials say residents pay about $3.50 per month, whereas businesses pay about $11, with some large businesses paying more. The resolution passed 4-3 Wednesday, with Councilors Dennis Roler, Roy Lindsay, Rick Riker and Barry Eames voting in favor. Councilors Jason Anderson, Valerie Lovelace and Jason Sharp voted in opposition and Councilor Tyler Flaming was absent. The opposing councilors voiced concerns that the contract should include an amendment mandating that the county commit to providing the base level of 100 beds. "I really think there should be some contingent to the contract," Lovelace said. "I can just hear the people stirring, saying, 'Why are we still paying them if they're not keeping their end of the bargain?' " City staff agreed that while an amendment was a good idea, forcing the county to commit to a base level of beds would pose some budgetary challenges for the Sheriff's Office and could delay the contract renewal, which expires June 30. "Anything is possible, but I don't think the county is far enough along in their discussions to make the commitment that they will keep the beds at the current level," said Finance Director Jay Meredith. The hesitation by the council was understandable, as even Landis conceded the contract was a "Band-Aid" and that the utility fee was never intended as a permanent form of funding. Meredith also mentioned that if the county is successful in establishing an independent district for the jail, there would no longer be a need for the contract. Lindsay said that, either way, the contract is crucial for public safety, even if it's not a perfect solution. "The council has been looking at this year by year, hoping that the solution would come to utilize the jail without city assistance, but it has never come," he said. "It's really important to keep the community safe, and this is one of the more effective ways to keep us safe." — Reach reporter Troy Shinn at 541-474-3806 or [email protected]