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County Looks to Lower Cost of Police Training Facility

'The needs we have are real and not imagined, and certainly go much further than just having a rifle and pistol range.'

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(TNS) - Henderson County, N.C., will take another look at a planned $20 million law enforcement training facility that has been in the works since the funding was approved last year, looking for ways to reduce that cost.

The Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Monday night to direct county staff to work with county architect of record Clark Nexsen and spend the next month or so further evaluating the project to find a way to substantially reduce the cost. The vote came after several residents spoke out against the project,

The $19.9-million, 49,000-square-foot facility is slated for the former baseball field at Blue Ridge Community College. County and Sheriff’s Office officials have put together plans for a state-of-the-art law enforcement facility capable of providing local agencies with many more training opportunities than the current facility at the Western Campus of the North Carolina Justice Academy in Edneyville.

Last June, the county voted to set aside 1 cent of the approved 5.14-cent tax increase to fund the debt service on the project, enough to raise around $1.28 million annually.

It will also fill a need at Blue Ridge Community College, officials say, for the college’s Basic Law Enforcement Training program.

Schematic plans presented at Monday night’s meeting, which have already been approved by the BRCC Board of Trustees, call for an L-shaped structure with one 50-yard and one 100-yard shooting range, classroom space, a backup 911 center, simulator room, locker rooms and a room for required physical abilities testing of officers.

Commissioner Bill Lapsley first made a motion to defer action for at least 100 days, but withdrew the motion after a break in the meeting and introduced instead a motion to direct county staff to evaluate the project further. Staff members are to look for ways to substantially reduce the cost and still provide the needed training, and report back to the board at the mid-month meeting in April.

The motion came after a slew of public speakers denounced the project, saying it is too expensive and is being rushed through with too little public input or knowledge of the project. Speakers said it would lead to a militarization of the police force, was unsafe and unfit for BRCC, and that the money could be better spent elsewhere, such as on crisis de-escalation training.

Among those speaking Monday was John Moore, a BRCC student, who said his concern stems from the facility where "semi-military and anti-terrorism" training with assault rifles will take place. He said it will be located directly behind the new Innovative High Schools at BRCC where students as young as age 14 will study.

"Commissioners, this is simply a dangerous and reckless proposal," he said. "It is disheartening as a current student to read a proposal by this commission that allocates more funds to militarize our police force than making further investments in hardworking men and women, boys and girls who use this campus to provide themselves with opportunities."

Moore also called law enforcement officers "truly the best of us," but said this proposal heads in the "wrong direction." He received a standing ovation from the crowd.

Zirconia resident Tom Hill said the project was part of out-of-control spending by the county. He presented numbers for capital projects that show $45 million in capital spending in 2014-15 and $111 million in construction commitments in 2016 — including $53 million for Hendersonville High, $13 million for new Emergency Management headquarters, $25 million for Edneyville Elementary and $20 million for the training facility.

Hill said the county brings in about $73 million in property taxes each year, $40 million in sales taxes and other federal funds and about $17 million in other fees. In 2019, the county's debt service is expected to be $20 million per year, about 27 percent of the taxes the county can currently collect, and the total debt will be $170 million.

"It's time for the county commissioners to take a more conservative view," he said. "You're supposed to be conservatives anyway."

Sheriff Charles McDonald, speaking to commissioners about the project, told of multiple failed attempts in recent years to find a site for an outdoor range, which would have been much cheaper, including one that was derailed by the public as soon as word got out that they were considering a piece of property.

"The needs we have are real and not imagined, and certainly go much further than just having a rifle and pistol range," McDonald said. "I believe it was told to me by the board that we would do what we needed to do to make sure that the Henderson County Sheriff's Office and our local municipalities would get the training opportunity by building the center that we needed."

He also said that "it was brought to our attention that Blue Ridge Community College was interested in providing this property as a partnership" to enhance its BLET program, and that at first, McDonald was "iffy" about the prospect. But through working with BRCC and realizing the need, it became clear that a partnership with the college and local municipalities would allow for needed training.

Deputies' in-service training also includes diversity training, conflict deescalation and dealing with mental health problems "more than anybody would ever know," he said. When people mention sending deputies to places like Georgia for training, his answer is that deputies need ongoing training, not just once-a-year sessions.

On the militarization of the police, he said, "I of all people am against the police state; I am of all people for civilian law enforcement, and I am of all people one who believes that the strength of our community is our ability to work together — citizens and law enforcement and all of our first responders — to be able to put together programs and plan for eventualities that allow us to take care of ourselves here in Henderson County."

County Manager Steve Wyatt said it was unfortunate that the majority of the public speakers left the meeting before those concerns were addressed in the discussion.

Wyatt also said the project was not rushed through, that it's been in the works since last year and the year before that at least. Numerous meetings have been public, and broadcast on TV and the internet.

"This was no quick decision. That's an absurd statement," he said.

Early in the project's process, Lapsley said he had doubts about the continual use of the facility, saying he didn't want it to go unused. To that question, McDonald sent out roughly 80 letters to area law enforcement agencies asking if they'd have interest in using the facility, including the possibility of a fee basis. McDonald reported that about 20 of those have responded.

This facility would be unique, Lapsley said, but that begs the question of whether or not other communities found that facilities like this weren't economically justified.

He also looked into the possibility of some state-level funding for the project, and said he had approached Rep. Chuck McGrady and Sen. Chuck Edwards, but was "taken aback that there was very little energetic support from either Sen. Edwards or Rep. McGrady toward the project."

In other business:

The Board of Commissioners passed a resolution honoring the late Theron Maybin, a Henderson County native and farmer who served on many boards and commissions in the community, especially in the Green River, Tuxedo and Zirconia areas.

“Theron Maybin spent his life involved in agriculture, aiding people with his love of the land, knowledge of soil and planting and harvesting pointers,” the resolution states. “Now, therefore, be it resolved that, with our eternal gratitude, Theron Maybin Sr. will be remembered for his legacy of service and contributions to our community.”

The board adopted a resolution in support of a North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreational Trails Program Trail Project grant application for Phases 1 and 2 of the Kunz Farm Park, adjacent to the current Westfeldt Park in Fletcher. The grant is one of three the county has in the works for the park.

The county is seeking the $100,000 grant with a 25-percent county match, or $25,000, which county staff expects to be supplied by commercial donors in the nearby Broadpointe Industrial Park. Phase 1 includes permitting and design and Phase 2 includes design and construction of a pedestrian bridge across the French Broad River additional parking lots at Westfeldt and contingency funds.

Both together are expected to cost a total $500,000.

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©2017 Times-News, Hendersonville, N.C.

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