Laurel residents and the City Council have accused the state of not being transparent in its decision to build a 32-bed psychiatric facility for criminal defendants outside of city limits. The city council is considering a moratorium on annexation that could prevent the building from accessing city water and sewer.
Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services Director Charlie Brereton told lawmakers this week that pushback is overblown.
“There’s a lot of misinformation swirling throughout the state and in the Laurel community surrounding the facility, the population that it will serve, the impact that it will have on Laurel and Yellowstone County,” he said.
Brereton and Board of Investments Director Dan Villa said the concerns over declining property values, building security and impact on city infrastructure are all unfounded.
Both gave no indication the state was backing away from the project, and reemphasized the need for a forensic mental health facility. Inmates mentally unfit to stand trial can languish in jail for months while waiting for treatment.
