COUNCIL BLUFFS — The Pottawattamie County Board agreed Tuesday to ask for more money from the City of Council Bluffs for use of the law enforcement center.
Since the contract spelling out use of the center was last updated in 1985, a lot has changed at the law enforcement center, which is attached to the Pottawattamie County Courthouse.
In 1985, the Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office and the Council Bluffs Police Department split the space in the center. But the Sheriff's Office has not been in the building since 1999, when it moved to the new jail facility at 1400 Big Lake Road.
Assistant Pottawattamie County Attorney Maggie Reyes said the city has had a "right to occupy" the building since it opened in 1978. Reyes said the right to occupy differs from a traditional lease because the city put $600,000 into the project.
Under the original agreement, the city has the right to occupy the law enforcement center for its "useful life."
County Board member Loren Knauss agreed that the city has a right to occupy the law enforcement center — but he contends that applies only to the 50 percent it was using at the time of the original agreement. Since the Sheriff's Office left the building, the Police Department has taken over almost the entire building.
Board member Lynn Leaders recalled a discussion that the city gave a portion of land to the county for the new jail in order to occupy more of the law enforcement center.
But Leaders said, "There are pieces to the puzzle missing."
Council Bluffs Mayor Tom Hanafan has said he has already put together the budget for next year. City Attorney Richard Wadealso said the budget was done and "the city was not likely to change any dollar figures."
The city currently pays $4,529.67 per month for use of the building.
County Building and Grounds Director Jim Yochum said the law enforcement center makes up a little more than 15 percent of the square footage of the courthouse complex. He said 15 percent of the utilities, janitorial, snow removal, lawn maintenance and other standard costs would be $4,497.47.
But that does not include all costs incurred by his crews, maintenance costs or costs for parking stalls the police occupy.
"All we want is that when they flush a toilet, they pay for the water," Knauss said. "It's not a complex issue."
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