The votes are in and a new law enforcement center is coming to Osage County.
County residents approved the construction of a new facility by a final vote of 1,149 to 505 according to the Osage County Clerk’s office. With the vote now complete, the next step will be to finalize contracts before ground is officially broken.
Osage County Sheriff Chris Wells says he is hopeful ground will be broken within the next six months.
The plan is to construct a new facility with 144 proposed beds, up from 30 currently available, and that will house all aspects of law enforcement and emergency management. Sheriff Wells says he is proud to know their office has the support of the community and that they can now give the county a “law enforcement center it deserves and can be proud of.”
Originally plans were to fund construction of the facility with revenue generated from holding inmates for other cities and counties, however, Wells explains that will not be the case as County Commissioners requested funds be generated through a four-year half-cent sales tax instead.
Sheriff Wells and others have stated that the current sheriff’s office and jail suffer from a range of issues that have made both buildings the “two biggest liabilities in the county.” Some of the major issues that have been highlighted over the past year include black mold, compromised ceilings and floors, a sinking foundation and inadequate storage.
Wells says an exact timeline for the project is not available at the moment, however, current expectations are for the project to last 14 months following the initial groundbreaking.
