City, county facility is major investment, major opportunity

Would have, should have, could have ...

That's often the tendency in major issues.

The City of McCook could, at one time, have owned the old Army Air Base for virtually nothing following World War II, which would have avoided the million-dollar water fiasco of a few years back, while providing a large, modern -- for the time -- airport or at least an expansive industrial tract.

But we turned it down.

We started putting cash aside for a new facility after jail standards put our old county jail out of business 20 years ago.

But we turned that down as well, when the project fell out of favor, and the money was spent for other needs. Over the years, Red Willow County taxpayers instead funded jail improvement projects elsewhere by sending our prisoners to jails that were still open.

Now a tentative spirit of cooperation has appeared, and we have a chance to vote on bonds for a new county jail, sheriff's office, city police department and fire station, all in the same facility.

On the surface of it, it sounds like a good idea -- one dispatching service to serve the three entities. And, it would seem to pave the way for exploration of county-wide law enforcement -- when there's trouble, not many of us care what color uniform the responding officer is wearing.

But there are many questions to be answered and issues to be overcome before any of the plans become a reality.

First, there's the cost; the facility would cost $7.7 million, unless city voters turn down their $2.5 million portion, in which case the county's $5.1 portion, provided it is approved by voters, would be redesigned and constructed.

And, don't forget that McCook property owners will be responsible for both the city and county shares.

Then, there's the location.

The old West Ward site is preferred, but county officials have not been able to come to terms with the owner. A second site, the public school system's Q Street bus barn, is available if needed, but as an story in today's issue indicates, thousands of dollars of road improvements, again falling on the city taxpayers, are needed to make that site viable.

Among them is a northern arterial connector, from West Third to East 11th, that will cost about $1.277 million. It would be a good project anyway, although the expense has kept it on the back burner for decades.

The combined public safety center issue is too much of an investment, and too important to be dismissed offhandedly or approved without close scrutiny.

The city and county jail committee plans public meetings to explain the project next month, and it behooves all of us to lend an ear. They are set for 7 p.m. at the Heritage Senior Center, 1400 W. Fifth, on Thursday, Oct. 12, Wednesday, Oct. 18, and Thursday, Oct. 26.

Others are set for Tuesday, Oct. 17 at the Danbury Community Center, Thursday, Oct. 19 at the Indianola Community Building, Tuesday, Oct. 24 at the Bartley Community Center and Wednesday, Nov. 1, at the Lebanon Legion Hall. All begin at 7 p.m.

Please try to attend at least one of these meetings. It's important to the future of all of us.