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Mason County Courthouse built in 1893
By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
SCOTTVILLE — The Mason County Board of Commissioners may soon hold formal discussions about the future of its facilities, specifically the jail and courts. The action is a result of a letter written to the commission by Mason County Chief Judge Jeffrey Nellis who expressed concerns, on behalf of the Mason County Courts, about the current courthouse.
“I am writing to request that the Board of Commissioners, in collaboration with the Mason County Courts, begin the process of formally studying options for possible courthouse expansion,” Nellis wrote. “This is a topic that has been informally discussed for several years. I believe that the time has come to seriously investigate the available options for improving and expanding our facilities, so that we can better serve the needs of our constituents.
“The building where operations are currently housed is historic and beautiful. However, it was built to serve the legal needs of Mason County as they existed back in 1893. A lot has changed in 132 years. For example, we currently have six judicial officers and only three courtrooms. Only one of those rooms can accommodate a jury.
“The basement courtroom is too small to house some hearings. When full, the layout of that room is not particularly safe. This building sees much more traffic than in prior centuries. Technology needs have changed, and updates are needed. There are no attorney/client meeting rooms, other than the one designated for MIDC (Michigan Indigent Defense Commission); and some department heads do not have office space where they can conduct private meetings.
“There are not enough public, staff and jury bathrooms. Parking is problematic on jury trial days. It is questionable whether there are enough (electric) outlets located throughout the building. Heating and cooling problems persist. Bats are still routinely found in the building, even in the winter.
“These are just a sampling of the issues that we encounter, on a daily basis.
“Ultimately, we will have to figure out whether to add on to our current building, construct an annex, perhaps by the jail, or build a completely new courthouse at a different location.
“This is a big issue, with a multitude of factors to consider. I am certain that different folks will have different views on the best way to address this situation. I am not coming into this discussion with a pre-conceived position on which option is the best. I truly believe that the best course is to carefully study the issue, obtain opinions from reliable sources and collaboratively arrive at a decision that best meets the needs of our court system and our citizens.”
Nellis’s letter was read and discussed at both the Mason County Board of Commissioners’ Public Safety and Courts and Building and Grounds meetings held this week at the county’s Scottville complex, that houses Building and Zoning, Drain Commission, and Department of Public Works.
During the Building and Grounds Committee meeting Tuesday afternoon, committee members and County Administrator Kaitlyn Szczypka agreed that the time has come to start looking at the county’s facilities. Szczypka suggested the commission form a task force.
The Mason County Courthouse, located in downtown Ludington, was built in 1893. Over the last three decades the county has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into updating and securing the building, but it’s 132 years old.
Mason County Jail, built in 1879, located on North Delia Street in Ludington
The Mason County Sheriff’s Office, which houses the county jail, is located at 302 N. Delia St. in Ludington. It was built in 1959. Recently, the county acquired the church located to the east of the building, which now means the jail property occupies a city block within a residential neighborhood. Prior to the present building, another jail, with similar architectural design as the courthouse, had existed. That building was built in 1879 and was deemed unsafe by the late 1950s. After prior failed attempts, voters passed a proposal in 1958 to build a new jail. The new jail was completed in 1959 and had the capacity to hold 32 inmates.
In the mid- to late-1990s, commissioners started to look at the county’s courts and jail. Ultimately, a decision was made to renovate the courthouse and expand the jail to 110 bed capacity.
In addition to both facilities being outdated, there are also safety concerns.
“On any given day of the week when there is criminal court, the sheriff’s office transports 15 to 20 inmates the three blocks to the courthouse and back,” Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole said. “Anytime you are moving an inmate from a secured location to an unsecured situation you have a safety risk to the deputies and to the public.”
Such an incident occurred in November of last year when an inmate ran away from a deputy in the courthouse parking lot. The deputy had an additional inmate in the vehicle and was unable to pursue the escapee, who was later caught by other police.
“Thankfully, that incident ended without anyone getting hurt,” Cole said. “That may not always be the case. It is time that the county board look at the future needs of these facilities. To me, what makes the most sense is building a new jail and court facility located outside of the city limits.”
While the City of Ludington is the county seat, the county jail and courts are not required to be located in the county seat, according to Mason County Commissioner Nick Krieger, who is also an attorney. Krieger said state statute requires the office of the circuit court judge be located in the county seat, along with county records. However, circuit court, and the other two courts (district and probate) may hold hearings elsewhere in the county.
Such is the case with several other counties in Michigan including Ottawa County. Grand Haven is the county seat but the county has several court facilities in other locations including Holland and Jenison.
Krieger said he was opposed to moving the county records out of the courthouse but was in favor of exploring options for new court and jail facilities. The other committee members, commissioners Janet Anderson and Steve Hull, agreed that the county clerk, treasurer, register of deeds and equalization, should remain in the present historic courthouse. The county administrator’s office is also being moved back to the courthouse from the Mason County Airport terminal building.
One of the locations that may be an option is the southeastern corner of the Mason County Airport/Mason County Fairgrounds property located on Meyers Road in Pere Marquette Township, adjacent to Mason County Animal Control. Just to the east of that property, is about 30 acres of land at the end of Johnson Road and south of the runway in Amber Township. Additionally, Amber Township owns 40 acres adjacent to that land.
Because the Mason County Sheriff’s Office is located in the city limits of Ludington, deputies often have to return to the facility throughout their shift. It is not unusual for the deputies to be called out to an emergency.
“When the deputies leave the jail and respond to an emergency, they have to drive lights and siren through residential neighborhoods, then through heavy traffic and multiple traffic lights,” Cole said. “It also means a slower response time. The citizens of Ludington are already covered because Ludington has a police department. It makes more sense to move the sheriff’s office and the courts to the east.”
The topic will be addressed again at next month’s Building and Grounds Committee meeting when Judge Nellis said he plans to attend.
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