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Walker calls for youth shelter study session By JONEL ALECCIA A Jackson County commissioner who opposed a 1997 deal that gave away public land for a Community Works youth shelter has requested an executive session to consider ways to get it back. Commissioner Jack Walker called Thursday for a meeting to decide whether the county should try to regain ownership of nearly three acres of land and buildings valued at nearly $550,000. A meeting tentatively has been set for Nov. 1. "I'm going to be very clear about it," Walker said. "My view is it was given to (Community Works) to provide a specific service. Now we want to provide that exact same specific service and it should revert back to the county." Jackson County officials last week announced they would take over operation of the Youth Diagnostic Shelter, which was closed by criminal sex abuse charges in April. Until then, Community Works ran the program for at-risk youth out of a facility deeded by the county to the Medford social service agency in 1997. The land transaction was recommended by then-County Administrator Burke Raymond and then-Juvenile Director Alan Young as a way to allow Community Works to improve dilapidated property and provide a badly needed service. The agreement included no performance requirements and no reversion clause. Walker said he opposed the move to simply deed away public land back then but was outvoted by commissioners Ric Holt and Sue Kupillas. "You protect the future in my estimation because no one can ever tell you that any organization does not run into a problem," Walker said. He said he would support a proposal to reimburse Community Works for costs of any improvements since 1997. Community Works officials did not return telephone calls requesting comment Thursday. However, agency representatives have said they've received no formal request for return of the property at 5605 S. Pacific Highway, Talent, and therefore have offered no formal response. Informally, however, county officials said director Arnie Green and the agency's board have indicated they do not want to give back the property, which is a valuable asset. Instead, the agency has lobbied for an agreement that would lease the facility to the county for $1 a year. That arrangement riles Walker. "It's not our fault that we're now having to do it," he said. "There has to be a better way than by leasing back our own property." If Community Works doesn't want to return the property, the county's only options would be to exercise its right of "eminent domain," which allows takeover of land for the public good. Or, the county would have to engage in lengthy and expensive litigation, said Dave Kanner, deputy county administrator. Commissioner Holt said he'd like to hear arguments on both sides of the issue. "I want to hear what Youthworks have to say," he said. "Arnie's been through so much, it's hard to beat up on someone when they're down. But we have to consider the county's interest. And the needs of the kids." (Youthworks Inc. was the name of an agency that merged with two others to form Community Works in 1996.) Kupillas was out of town, as was County Administrator Sue Slack. But Slack called for return of the shelter property in an Oct. 2 internal memo to the commissioners. "The unfortunate lesson from the shelter problem is that the county will probably outlast any service provider," Slack noted. "Should any county provide space to any human service provider, it should be done as a business lease. The county should retain ownership so that space can be used to deliver service." Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.