CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – After hearing serious objections to the proposed Madison Street location for the juvenile resource center, Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden on Wednesday removed the proposal from next week’s County Commission agenda.
“I have heard a lot of concerns about the proposed location of the Juvenile Resource Center,” Golden told Clarksville Now. “With these concerns, though, a lot of support has been expressed for this need, along with many suggestions for alternate locations.
“I am pulling this resolution from next week’s agenda to review the suggested locations and to hear more from the community. The need for the center is no less crucial to serving the families and children in Montgomery County. I do want to thank everyone who has reached out to our office and our commissioners.”
Madison Street location
On June 3, the Montgomery County Commission discussed the proposed location for the juvenile resource center: 739 and 741 Madison St., an area next to the railroad tracks that has been home to God’s Sanctuary Church.
The resolution would appropriate $2.6 million from the 2023-24 budget to pay for the land. While the county currently has $2.2 million on hand for the acquisition, the other $400,000 would come from the undesignated fund balance of the County General Fund.
Director of Juvenile Court Edward Moss said Monday that the site was chosen based on a number of factors, including proximity to the court system downtown. He said there has to be some way for maneuvering attorneys, children, their families and case files around, which is how the location on Madison Street was suggested, being only six blocks from the Courts Center.
Golden said the county should be able to make comparisons with other facilities in Tennessee that have been built recently to get a better idea of the costs. Over coming weeks, Moss will lead a group of commissioners across the state to see how different detention centers operate.
The County Commission next meets on Monday at 6 p.m. at the County Courthouse, without the Madison Street location on the agenda.
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