The Reno County Jail Study committee met for about an hour and 40-minutes Tuesday evening in the courthouse Veterans Room.
They discussed, at length, needs, pros and cons of constructing an elevator for transportation of prisoners to courtrooms, with opposition to any elevator concept that would compromise safety for his personnel from Judge Chambers. Ideas were also received from Judge McEwen and District Court Clerk Pam Moses. No decision was made.
The Committee also discussed the south side entrance plans from Sheriff Randy Henderson, designed to improve courthouse security. The sheriff wants metal detectors at that entrance, and possibly close the others to public access. Again, no final decision was made.
The Committee agreed by consensus it would vote and attempt to arrive at a recommendation at their next meeting concerning courthouse security and elevator issues. Options include doing nothing, include a prisoner elevator in the jail bond issue, include a new south-side entrance and security improvements in the bond issue, and include both the elevator and courthouse security in the bond issue.
The Committee will also discuss at its next meeting the extent of any Law Enforcement Center renovation to be included in the bond issue.
And, then came discussion of jail staffing with any new jail. Jail Captain Larry Dyer and Sheriff Henderson indicating they would need four additional officers over what they have with the current jail for a total of 32-jail officers which they based on American Corrections standards. Dyer noted that hiring additional officers should reduce both overtime and turnover costs, with a part of the reduced overhead helping pay for additional full-time employees.
The committee was advised by Commissioner Dan Deming that legislation that would allow Reno County to acquire jail site property owned by the Department of Corrections still appears on track for passage in final days of the current session which means sometime, yet this week. Deming also spoke about the favorable impact on a jail vote next April if the legislature includes in final tax reform legislation allowing six-tenths of a current temporary one cent sales tax to expire in July of 2013.
Committee Chairman Lee Spence asked that additional discussion take place at the next meeting, on May 22nd, on a public opinion survey about the jail project.
County Administrator Gary Meagher advised that the project’s financial adviser should be present at the next meeting to give additional information about interest rates, length of bonds, and payback requirements in helping determine the amount of a sales tax increase and length of sunset provisions to finance the proposed new jail and related facilities.