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Jail plans include 'what if' option
City of McCook and Red Willow County voters will be asked to approve a new joint county jail and sheriff's office and city police department and fire station at the polls Tuesday, Nov. 7.
If voters approve both city and county questions -- which will be separate issues on the ballot -- the joint facility will cost $7,665,000.
If voters approve the county's portion of the facility but reject the city's, the county plans to move forward and build its facility to house the county jail and sheriff's office; this facility will cost $5,110,000.
If voters reject the county portion of the project and approve the city portion -- $2,555,000 -- the city will not be obligated to process and build a new public safety center to house its police department and fire station.
Plans for the joint and/or county facility have been drawn on 2 3/4 acres of land available for purchase from McCook Public Schools. The land, on West Q, houses the school district's bus barn and would be sold for the price of the construction of a new bus barn near the junior/senior high.
City and county jail committee members will explain the joint facility at three community informational meetings in McCook: Thursday, Oct. 12, and Thursday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m., at the Heritage Senior Center, 1400 W. Fifth.
Another meeting at the Senior Center is scheduled Wednesday, Oct. 18, at 12:45 p.m. (An incorrect time was given in an earlier news story for this Oct. 18 meeting.)
County representatives on the jail committee will explain the county side of the ballot issue at meetings outside of McCook following this schedule:
* Tuesday, Oct. 17, Danbury, 7 p.m., Danbury Community Center.
* Thursday, Oct. 19, Indianola, 7 p.m., Indianola Community Building.
* Tuesday, Oct. 24, Bartley, 7 p.m., Bartley Community Center.
* Wednesday, Nov. 1, Lebanon, 7 p.m., Lebanon Legion Hall.