Following action by Lyon County Commissioners Thursday morning, engineering work can now begin on the county’s new firing range and communications center.
As part of their regular action session, commissioners approved a contract with Driggs Design Group, PA of Emporia, for engineering services on the new facility on West South Avenue. The total cost of the contract is just over $28,700, which, according to Lyon County Sheriff Jeff Cope, is $5,000 cheaper than it would have been if the county had not moved the planned facility to West South from its originally planned location near the Lyon County Highway Department.
Current plans are to construct a new law enforcement training facility and gun range as well as a dedicated space for the Lyon County Emergency Communications Center, which is currently located inside of the Emporia Police Department. The training facility will include a new targeting system, paid for with a portion of Federal dollars allocated through a grant from US Senator Jerry Moran to the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office back in December.
The range must be in use by May of 2026 or the grant dollars must be repaid to the government. As for the facilities themselves, they will be paid for out of county sales tax dollars, with no ad valorem taxes being used for the project.
Exact estimates are currently pending, however, Cope says the total price tag for the project could be around $2 million by the time all is said and done.
In other business Thursday, commissioners also approved a renewal of a contract with Reno County for overflow housing of juvenile detainees. Cope says the county has never had to use the Reno facilities for such purpose and the county was at one time planning to let the contract expire, however, he says it is better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it noting with the contract the cost to house detainees in Reno county is just over $160, but without it:
Separately, Thursday, commissioners discussed the RDA board structure, details of which are online at KVOE.com, issued a pair of proclamations and held one executive session for non-elected personnel with no action taken. The Lyon County Commission will reconvene for its weekly action meeting next Thursday at 9 am inside the Lyon County Courthouse Commission Chambers.
