Commissioners to interview jail study firms

Red Willow County commissioners will interview two firms interested in completing a study that could help commissioners decide if the county should build a jail.

The Jail Standards Board of the Nebraska Department of Corrections requires the detailed study before it approves the construction of a jail facility.

Reuben Hoff of rural McCook, chairman of the commissioners' jail study task force, told commissioners during their regular meeting Monday that the study is a "dual-edged sword." Commission Chairman Earl McNutt agreed, saying it will either demonstrate a need for a jail, or "show us we have no business looking into this."

The study will detail prisoner trends and numbers, prisoner transportation costs and personnel and housing/bed needs. Commissioner Leigh Hoyt said a study could cost anywhere from the high teens to $25,000 and up.

McNutt said the study will help the county zero in on costs associated with running a jail.

Fellow commissioner Steve Downer said he hopes the study will answer his questions about whether the jail market is or is not saturated with facilities that are being or were "overbuilt" to include additional bed space for prisoners from neighboring jurisdictions and/or federal agencies.

McNutt said the county has the money to pay for the study in its jail sinking fund. "That's what this sinking fund's for -- to raise money for a building and to pay for the process," McNutt said.

Hoyt made a motion, seconded by Downer, to listen to presentations from two criminal justice planning firms.

In other action:

* Commissioners learn-ed that the Nebraska Department of Environmental Qu-ality sent $89,100 in grant funds to the county's household hazardous waste collection program for 2004-05.

* Commissioners, County Attorney Paul Wood and McCook attorney Bert Blackwell discussed foreclosure of a loan granted through the county's revolving loan program to Jonzeez Java in a closed session requested by Blackwell. Commissioners took no action on the agenda item after they returned to open session.

* Erv and Nadine Friehe of rural McCook complained to commissioners about trash, appliances and mattresses dumped on neighboring land. After commissioners visited with Wood about the situation, they agreed to refer the Friehes to the city office because the property in question is within the city's two-mile jurisdiction.

* Commissioners agreed not to make direct deposit of pay checks mandatory for county employees. Deputy County Clerk Tami Teel told commissioners that about half of the county's employees opt to have their checks automatically deposited. Teel said paycheck vouchers would still have to be printed for all employees, and mailed to employees who work outside the courthouse.

Downer said he could see no cost-saving to the county by making direct deposit mandatory. McNutt said he considered making it mandatory, if there were only a handful of holdouts for checks.

McNutt said, "I'm not going to upset the apple cart. I have no problem continuing with checks."