Future joint facility?

Dear Editor,

McCookites should be pleased with the manner our City Council has handled "our" business recently. Council's majority seems to realize they are the boss, not the city manager nor the department heads. Leading up to, and including decisions made at their July 18 meeting, they have shown they are willing to correct errors (i.e. the MCC parking lots) and they have shown they can make prudent decisions quickly instead of postponing things until the Twelfth of Never.

I do question Councilman Lyon's math regarding the proposed jail. He states building a jail will cost us an "extra" $1,822,784 over the next 20 years. Not adjusting for inflation, if we continue another 20 years as we are now, it will cost us $7,347,720 and at the end of 20 years, we will have zip, zero, nothing for our dollars!.

In essence, Phil wants to tax us over $7 million, send it to other counties and in return, we get no jail.

He fails to calculate how much of the initial jail costs and future costs of operations, including salaries and supplies, would be pumped into the Red Willow County economy.

My guess is over 30 percent of the annual $462,000 cost would go directly into our county economy. That would be approximately $2,772,000 over 20 years. I would rather spend $9,240,000 over 20 years, have $2,772,000 pumped into the economy and own a $4 million facility fully paid for than spend $7,347,720 at the end of 20 years and have nothing.

They way I see it, it will cost us at lease $3,500,000 over 20 years not to build the jail. I wonder how much Phil estimates we saved by not addressing our water and sewer issues 15 years ago?

Being proactive instead of reactive, a properly designed facility would put us a leg up on a regional law enforcement center which will surely be in the future.

In 1896, citizens of McCook almost went to war with Indianola to become the county seat. Their vision was beyond their lifespans and was obviously beneficial for McCook. The current captains of our future need to look beyond their egos and seek the best long-term solution ... a joint facility.

The task force has visited such a facility in Manhattan, Kan., which sits on three acres.

If my memory is correct, the Alliance joint facility sits on a half a city block (one acre). If a firehouse were added, proper planning could probably make things work on 1 1/2 acres. It doesn't have to look like a park.

'Nuff said,

Bill Frasier,

McCook