After several months in the loan application process, Clay County has submitted its application to acquire a $15 million loan to build a new jail.
Many county officials believed, with this being the second time the county has entered the loan application process for a new jail, that it would be quicker than the first time. Clay County Sheriff Brandon Boone said doing studies and tests on the proposed property for the new jail extended the process several months.
“We are just waiting for the application to be approved by USDA,” Boone said. “I’m just assuming that it will take a couple more weeks, just waiting to hear back from them. But as soon as the loan gets approved, the commission and our architects are ready to move forward with the jail.”
Boone said the county has kept in contact with the state throughout the loan application process. Boone said he is hoping to get the ball rolling on building a new jail soon.
“The longer we wait, the more expensive things are gonna cost,” Boone said. “Obviously, we started this process back in 2011-2012, sometime then talking about building a jail after I got elected, and we still don’t have a jail.”
Boone said the county is currently spending an estimated $200,000 a year just to house inmates in other counties. The county is proposing to build a new jail across the street from the county complex. Boone said being across the street from the county complex is ideal.
“It’s a logistical nightmare for us on court dates, traveling to five or six different counties to pick up inmates for court,” Boone said. “It’s gonna be better than having it three miles away, you know, as far as transporting inmates to court. You know, here with a secure fence we can walk them across the road on nice days, and you know, if we have to put them in a van, it’s just transporting them across the street.”
Boone said the jail deals with the clerk’s office daily and that the proposed location would streamline processes. Boone said though the plans for the jail are not final, the county is looking at constructing a 72-bed facility instead of a 100-bed facility.
Boone said the initial $19 million price tag for a 100-bed facility led the county to reduce the number of beds.
