Still now definite decisions made on a location for a proposed jail. The jail study committee met all afternoon Thursday, mainly to make sure everyone is on the same page when it comes and wants and needs in a new jail, and how far they want to go. Sheriff Randy Henderson says the session at the County Public Works facility focused on goals, priorities and parameters for the jail project.

He says as far as sites for a new jail, they’re still looking at two locations, one being the area owned by the Kansas Department of Corrections at Blanchard and Severance near Carey Park, and the other at Sherman and Adams, where there is currently a car lot.

The sheriff says the problem with that location is the moving of power lines on top of whatever they would have to pay for the privately owned land. Apparently, there is some thought that they could possibly still use the current jail annex. But says the Sheriff if they did build a jail on the car lot it would have to be two stories, and the cost to move power lines could be several hundred’s of thousands of dollars. Apparently, that site is being studied by Landmark Architects.

Still to be decided is how much of sales tax they want to ask voters to approve, whether it 1-quarter cent, or one half of a cent.

There will be more tours of the current jail for any residents wanting to see for themselves the condition of the current jail and why the Sheriff and now County Commissioners are pushing for funding to build a new one. At least one more is planned before Christmas, then stating up again in January.