Graham Jaehnig/Daily Mining Gazette The former church on Sharon Avenue, currently owned by Houghton County, is the subject of a recently formed Sharon Avenue and Jail Use Committee.

HOUGHTON – The Houghton County Board of Commissioners has formed three committees in response to two proposals the county placed on the August 2025 ballot — one that passed and one that failed. The failed proposal would have funded construction of a new county jail facility. The proposal sought 1.6 mills to allow the county borrow up to $32 million for jail and county building improvements. The proposal failed by 972 votes, 3,629 to 4,601.

The three committees formed are the County-Held Properties Committee, Sharon Avenue and Jail Use Committee, and the Jail Committee.

Faith Morrison, co-president of the League of Women Voters of the Copper Country and advocate for a new jail said the intent of the committees is to do a deeper dive that County Board itself would do, then report to the County Board. “The basic idea is that this particular committee, the Jail Committee, “Morrison said, “is meant to be identifying – like listening to what the public said in the no vote in August – and finding out what their objections are, then getting a plan of revising the jail plan and getting something that would pass.”

In August, County Board Chairman Tom Tikkanen said it should not be overlooked that more than 30% of the voters supported the jail millage. While it isn’t a win, he said, it is a step in the right direction for those who support a new facilty.

The Jail Committee acts in an advisory capacity and does not make decisions, but the nine-member committee includes two county commissioners, Gretchen Janssen and Tikkanen.

The Sharon Avenue and Jail Use Committee, said Morrison, is addressing what to do with the building on the Sharon Avenue site, a former church, that was purchased by the county, and what to do with the current jail should the county build a new one.

Morrison said that while she is not a member of that committee, she does know it hosted a tour of the church building in October, adding that the committee will report to the County Board Wednesday, Nov. 12 and recommend the structure be demolished because it not something the county can use. “I talked with two people on that committee,” she said, “and they both said they’re going to recommend to the Board that (demolition).”

The County Properties Committee is examining the values of properties the county owns.

“We had a very contentious County Board Work Session on Nov. 3,” Morrison said. “The contention was about Canal View, which is the county’s largest owned asset.”

There is a small group of people, she said, who voice the opinion that the county should not male a request from the voters for $32 million when they’re sitting on valuable property.

“So, the County Board got a recommendation from the County-Owned Property Committee to do an assessment on both the Canal View and the marina,” Morrison said. “In figuring out what makes more sense for the County, was argued at the Work Session that the passage of the operating millage of the Canal View is already the consensus of the county regarding the Canal View.”

Morrison said the committees are examining the public’s sentiment on not only the jail issue, but on the other properties owned by the county.

“My understanding of what the county is thinking about with these committees,” she said, “is any ideas, any suggestions, should be investigated apprised, and brought into the overall discussion on what would be the best plan for the county.”