00;00;00;03 - 00;00;24;20 Stephanie Wiechmann Delaware County needs to address the current jail's limitations in some way. Several federal lawsuits have been filed about inmate conditions at the current overcrowded facility and a state inspector gave the county several options it could choose from. One of those was to build a new jail. The plan in front of the Delaware County Commissioners would turn the former Wilson Middle School building on Tillotson Avenue and 26th Street into a justice center and a 500 bed jail at a cost of $ 45 million. 00;00;24;26 - 00;00;32;11 Stephanie Wiechmann Inspire Academy executive director Leslie Draper says building a large jail in a former middle school is a symbol the county should not want. 00;00;32;18 - 00;00;46;17 Leslie Draper I know the kids that are going to get locked up in this facility. I know them because they went to Wilson and I worked with them. So I would ask that you consider what that does for a kid to go to a school and to later end up locked up in that same school. 00;00;46;19 - 00;00;55;19 Stephanie Wiechmann The building's large, usable area is one thing supporters, like former County Councilman Mike Jones, see as a positive step for future county budgets. 00;00;55;22 - 00;01;14;08 Mike Jones When I was on council in 2014, if I recall correctly, the council spent about $ 1 million housing inmates out of county. That's a rate of $ 35 a day, and that's that. The legislature has meant that up to $ 55 a day. So it's going to be more than that now. 00;01;14;10 - 00;01;24;23 Stephanie Wiechmann Others who spoke at the public hearing say they still don't have enough information from the county about costs and logistics, like how to get many people out to the new site, says Muncie City Councilman Dan Ridenour. 00;01;24;24 - 00;01;46;28 Dan Ridenour We have 14 bus routes, and only one of those 14 routes goes to where this facility is. And I'm concerned about moving some of these other departments down there. What that means for the transportation of our citizens who need those busses to get here. All 14 routes come within a couple of blocks of this particular building and our current jail. 00;01;47;00 - 00;02;00;26 Stephanie Wiechmann Many speakers also pointed out that the county is lacking drug treatment options to reduce the inmate population and help those in jail now. Delaware County Commissioner James King says he agrees, but he suggests Muncie residents also ask city officials for the money. 00;02;01;00 - 00;02;13;10 James King This just isn't a county thing. I want everybody to understand that this is a city thing and if you have ties within the city, go to your people. Just don't put it on our backs. It's everybody's problem. 00;02;13;14 - 00;02;36;15 Stephanie Wiechmann At the special meeting after the public hearing, Commissioner Sherry Riggin moved to table the plans for first reading but received no support from fellow commissioners. A second reading and any possible amendments will be considered at future meetings. The next regular meeting is scheduled for December 3rd. That's the day before a community organized forum to talk about options for the jail project. In Muncie, Stephanie Wiechmann, IPR news.