The series of meetings to discuss the plans to build a law enforcement center next to the Edmunds County Courthouse in Ipswich began last week.

Commissioner Chad Preszler opened the meetings in Ipswich and Roscoe on Nov. 27 and 28.

He said Sheriff Jonathan Waldner has had challenges in the office since the jail closed in November 2022. The County Commission has been discussing building a new jail, but they wanted public input.

Sheriff Waldner said they have to move inmates to other counties and one of the county deputies have to make the trip also. Quite often they have to go has far as Huron. It costs $75 to $100 daily to house inmates elsewhere.

Instead, they want to build the 36-bed jail to be a center to house inmates from other counties.

Waldner said it would not be a problem to have the facility full, raising funds for the Sheriff’s budget.

The proposed cost of the project is $7,398,007, which includes the construction plus professional fees, contingency and miscellaneous expenses.

The tax impact on the 25-year General Obligation Bond for $7,400,000 would be:

$150,000 taxable property value - the extimated tax payment would be $57.75 annually ($4.81 monthly) / $600,000 taxable property value would be $231.00 annually ($24.08 monthly)

Preszler said they want to vote on the bond. That would probably happen in February.

If they started work on the law enforcement center in the spring it would take 14-15 months to complete a project of that size.

At the meeting questioners wondered if staffing could be an issue. Waldner said they have a 10-person staff now. He said they would need seven more. “I don’t think it will be a problem,” he said.

Preszler said with the added inmates they would house it is possible they could get the bond paid early.

The new facility would be a benefit for the county, Preszler said, to help the Sheriff do his job and keep the county safe.

There are still informational meetings planned this week: Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. in the Wakeside and Bar Grill basement in Mina and Dec. 7 at 6:30 p.m. in the Hosmer Fire Hall.