How to address the future of the Chickasaw County jail remains uncertain. But one thing remains clear, the State Jail Inspector continues to tell the County it needs to do something.
During Monday’s (10.16) Chickasaw County Board of Supervisors meeting, Sheriff Ryan Shawver highlighted the September 28th jail inspection report from Delbert Longley, which sounded all too familiar.
Shawver said Longley commended the County for its efforts to keep the jail functioning safely, which included replacing security cameras earlier this year.
Shawver said Longley gave no hard timeline for the County to do something about the 65-year-old facility.
Under consideration is a combination of building a new holding facility on the current site as well as renovating the current structure to house the Sheriff’s Office and dispatch center for about $7 million. Another option is building a new jail near the former Heritage property just south of New Hampton for about $12 million.
Supervisors have also been exploring whether the County could qualify for TIF revenue from the new wind turbine farm being built in the County to help offset the jail/holding facility costs.Â
The general consensus of the Board is that something must be done to address the future of the County’s jail.
