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County considers shelter takeover By JONEL ALECCIA TALENT - The land and buildings that house a Community Works youth shelter closed by sex abuse charges were a no-strings-attached gift from Jackson County. Now, county officials are considering taking over operation of the shelter, and it's not clear how a new arrangement would work. In 1997, county officials deeded nearly three acres of public land and buildings at 5605 S. Pacific Highway to Community Works, the Medford nonprofit agency that runs the Youth Diagnostic Shelter, assessment records show. The site, valued at more than $236,000 now, is expected to be assessed at nearly $548,000 in October. The deal was approved by the board of commissioners, then-County Administrator Burke Raymond and then-Juvenile Director Alan Young. It was aimed at providing stability and consistency to area youth shelter services, County Administrator Sue Slack said. Community Works had provided shelter at various sites for years. "We had not put the cash into shelter services so this was a way of supporting them," Slack said. "We all expected services to continue at a high level." In a letter dated June 25, 1997, Raymond said the county had "no plans" for what was known as the Quackenbush House and surrounding property or the Shelter Home and surrounding property. The deal would allow for creation of a third wing in the shelter and consolidation of administrative and counseling functions, Raymond added. However, a Community Development Block Grant that would have paid for expansion didn't materialize, Slack said. The land transaction between the county and Community Works included no stipulations about performance and no clause that allows the county to resume ownership, if necessary. The deal was accomplished through a bargain and sales deed, a common transaction that completely transfers title. "We gave them the property and the building," Slack said. "We said 'Go forth and provide shelter services.' They didn't have to do anything in particular." Since then, Community Works has provided care to some 300 at-risk youths ages 10 to 17 each year. The shelter, which has an annual budget of $500,000, has served clients through contracts with Jackson County, the Oregon Youth Authority and the state office for Services to Children and Families. In April, however, the shelter was closed after teen clients accused two supervisors of sexual abuse. An investigation by representatives from state and local agencies forced immediate evacuation of the 16-bed shelter. The supervisors, Wayne Gatrel, 43, of Medford, and Desiree Seiver, 22, of Central Point, together face nearly three dozen charges that they sexually displayed and abused eight 15- and 16-year-old clients. Gatrel and Seiver remain lodged in the Jackson County Jail on $300,000 bail each. Prompted by a dire crisis in shelter care, county and state officials are struggling to reopen the site. Since April, nearly a dozen at-risk youth a month have been diverted to alternate care, often in different counties. Jackson County officials are now deciding whether to take over shelter operation in September. "We're considering all the options, including doing it ourselves," Slack said. But the land and the buildings belong to Community Works, and it's not clear how a new administration would function, Slack said. She said she believed a compromise between all parties could be reached within a few weeks. "From my perspective, the number one concern is the safety of kids," she said. Arnie Green, executive director of Community Works, has declined to discuss the shelter while legal action is pending. "I'd rather not have a conversation about that until the court case is settled," said Green. He added that shelter care is an important topic, one that concerns him as a key figure on a statewide panel focused on the issue. "I think I know more about shelter than all but 10 to 15 people in the state," he said. Fellow agency administrators concerned with shelter care consider the charges and the closure an unfortunate incident in a difficult business, said Brian Florip, assistant director of OYA. "When we serve a population like this, there are risks," Florip said. "Kids and staff both make bad choices. I don't know that you can ever say it's perfectly safe." 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.