Studies Set To Begin For Future Clay County Jail

Staffing and feasibility studies will soon be taking place for Clay County’s future jail facility.

County Mayor Dale Reagan said the staffing analysis will determine the number of employees needed to run the facility.

“We’re looking at a 101-bed facility and TCI requires a certain amount of employees per inmates,” Reagan said. “The commission wants to look at it because a lot of times you might have a 100-bed facility and use the same number of employees that it takes to do 75-beds. If that’s the case, and it doesn’t cost us any more employees to watch over 100-inmates, It would be feasible for us to look at doing that.”

Reagan said the feasibility study will help county commissioners determine a funding mechanism for the project.

“That gives you an idea of about what you’re looking at, as far as expenditures versus revenue,” Reagan said. “Building a jail is just one small part of it. It’s operational costs and the increase in that. The commission needs to have a pretty good general idea of what it’s going to cost.”

The county mayor estimates that operational costs at the new facility will increase by at least $600,000. The facility will cost an estimated $7.5 million to build.

The county has applied for a low-interest USDA loan for up to $7 million. Reagan said the loan can’t be approved until the county has completed all necessary requirements.

“Once we get all the I’s dotted and T’s crossed, hopefully, USDA can go back and approve our loan and we can move forward in a good fashion,” Reagan said. “All this stuff has to take place in order to give the county commission the best information that we can possibly get to them.”

Reagan said construction could begin by 2020.