GREEN COVE SPRINGS- There are many things to contemplate for the future in Clay County and several of those focus issues were dissected during the Clay County Board of County Commissioners 2023 legislative priorities workshop meeting on Friday, Jan. 6.

An appropriation to add 100 beds to prevent exceeding capacity and improve the health and safety conditions for inmates and staff at the Clay County Jail was one of the top items on the list. Removing non-essential, non-security functions at the jail and transporting them to the county sheriff’s office, and removing storage items from cells that are currently being used for that purpose are also on the table for the plan.

Combining state and grant monies, allocations of the project would total $8 million, with the timeline for the expansion expected to last between five-to-seven years.

BCC representatives agreed that a longer-term answer could be to build a prison farm within county lines, which could stymie the overcrowding problem at the county jail and provide non-violent criminals with a productive task for the community such as growing food that could then be donated to the food bank.

One blueprint for that model could include James I. Montgomery Correctional Center in Jacksonville, a large, 640-acre prison sitting on lush, fertile agricultural land that also serves as a pea farm.

Another potential option could be housing criminals at state or federal prisons outside of the county. Understaffing and negative effects on the local economy include other issues associated with the jail, BCC members said at the meeting.

Designing and constructing the Northeast Greenway Trail from the Duval County line at Veterans Park through the Jennings State Forest at the Live Oak Lane Trail Head to the Putnam County line was a major topic for the BCC, which is seeking to gain additional funding for parks, greenways and trails in the light of hoping to expand the oft-discussed industry of ecotourism, which includes can’t miss activities like paddleboarding, kayak bass fishing, hiking, and biking.

Other important appropriations discussed included infrastructure projects like county roadways and water and drainage projects, fairgrounds and parks and broadband initiatives.

The BCC also will seek funding for infrastructure allowing for county residents to more easily access the First Coast Expressway, as an appropriation is on the table to widen State Road 16 to four lanes from the First Coast Expressway east to South Oakridge Avenue and make operational improvements to the intersection of State Road 21 (Blanding Boulevard) and Wells Road.

Infrastructure isn’t limited to roads, as the county bordered to the east by the St. John’s River will continue to keep a focused eye on the effects of higher rivers, stronger storms and more frequent flooding by investing in water and drainage projects.

The workshop loomed especially large since day-to-day business must be taken care of during regular BCC meetings. Officials gathered their thoughts and reprioritized what items they would like to see funded by the state.

“We have a lot of needs when asking for something from the state delegation when (seeking) to benefit the taxpayers,” said Commissioner Mike Cella.