By Mary Drier (Contact / Staff Bio)
November 23, 2009 - 10:29 a.m. EST

CARO — After months of trying to find a suitable location for adult probation in Caro, and wrangling over a contract, there is one more step before finalizing the sale.

“An environmental assessment needs to be done,” said Tuscola County Building and Grounds Director Mike Miller. “At one time, there was a dry-cleaning business there, so it has to be checked for any kind of contamination.”

The county plans to buy the office building at 141 South Almer St. to house adult probation. It has been renting the facility for about two years.

The county has a Brownfield Redevelopment program, and funds from that should be allowed to go toward the cost of the testing that the EPA wants done. The work is contingent on securing Brownfield Redevelopment funding.

AKT Peerless was contracted to do a phase II environmental site assessment for $16,965 as part of the sale.

The county had been leasing the Almer Street building for $33,000 per year since November 2007 because a fire on Oct. 25, 2007 severely damaged the Niland Building on Center Street that the county had been leasing.

In August, county commissioners approved purchasing the building for $245,000 from BBC Enterprises to permanently house adult probation operations.

Even though adult probation is a state function, counties are responsible for providing adequate space for the program

Currently, there are nine probation officers working out of the new location, and more could be added as the state continues to close prisons and move more toward probation than incarceration.