New jail proposal possible

Committee may be ready to make recommendation

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

Members of a citizens committee could decide at a meeting Thursday to make a recommendation to the Floyd County supervisors to build a new jail.

Although various versions of a new jail or law enforcement center committee have been working for years, this latest committee could be ready to make a recommendation on the type of addition to be made to the county courthouse and potential costs that would need to be approved by voters in a bond referendum.

The committee has been looking at several variations of plans since May, ranging from single-story additions to multiple-story additions nearly the height of the existing courthouse.

All the designs have been prepared by Prochaska & Associates, an architecture, design and planning consulting firm from Omaha that was hired by the county to help in the process.

The citizen’s committee tentatively agreed at a recent meeting to focus on a single-story addition that would include a new jail and new office and support space for the Sheriff’s Department, and which would be built southwest of and connected to the courthouse.

The meeting Thursday is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. in the ground floor meeting room at the courthouse.

The committee will look at additional changes to the single-story plan that were recommended at the last meeting.

The committee will also hear from Jeff Heil, vice president of public finance for Northland Securities, who has worked with Floyd County on previous bond elections.

Heil will discuss the potential tax impact for assessed property valuations based on the approximate $13 million price tag of the addition.

Also scheduled for the meeting Thursday is a discussion on possible bond election dates and additional actions to be taken by the committee members in support of its recommendation.