Okla. County Commissioners Meet Federal Deadline To Secure Funds For Mental Healthcare Center At New Jail Location

Oklahoma County Commissioners plan to move forward on a new behavioral healthcare facility.

The board met on Tuesday and confirmed that the federal funding allocation would remain intact to build the health center.

Click HERE to watch the full meeting.

While the bulk of Tuesday's Board of County Commissioners meeting was spent behind closed doors, beforehand the room was lively with public comment. Many of those comments were from Del City leaders and residents.

“This is not a day to celebrate; it's a day to mourn if you're from Del City, and I’m from Del City,” said Scott Tatom, Ward 4 Councilman, Del City.

The comments mostly centered around the construction of the new county jail at 1901 Grand Blvd.

“My whole issue all along is it's too close to schools, neighborhoods, daycares, parks, churches, special needs living centers,” said Del City resident Gina Standridge. “I have sat and watched you take other locations off of that list for having one school. We've got five within a mile.”

This was the first opportunity for concerned citizens to speak publicly to the board after Attorney General Gentner Drummond on Monday issued a formal opinion concluding that Oklahoma County has legal immunity from Oklahoma City’s zoning regulations in the ongoing dispute over the location of a new county jail. The opinion, released on Monday, clarifies that while Oklahoma County is not a "superior sovereign" to Oklahoma City, the county’s statutory obligations to construct and operate a jail outweigh the city’s zoning concerns.

Related: Oklahoma County Jail Update: Oklahoma AG Says County Can Build Jail Without City Approval

“I don't see how you can be immune without being sovereign that should be up to a court to decide,” said Tatom.

Joe Blough, who represents Del City in District 1, says he understands his constituents’ concerns.

“I understand their frustrations,” Chief Deputy Blough said. “For the board, it's a balancing test; I don't think we were ever going to please everyone.”

For now, the board needed to meet Tuesday's federal deadline to allocate the $40 million in American Rescue Plan funds (ARPA).

“We were just we're in a position if in the event something didn't work out with the Attorney General or a concession from the city that we would be able to do something different, but otherwise everything is good to go with the mental health facility it's all system go,” said Oklahoma County District 2 Commissioner Brian Maughan.

While voters approved a $260 million bond to build the new jail, cost estimates are much higher now. Commissioners say they will discuss ways to close that gap in the new year, which could involve an increase in taxes. As for the county's lawsuit against the city of Oklahoma City, the board took no action on the subject. The city also declined to comment on the pending litigation.