It appears Chickasaw County will go it alone in addressing the future of their aging jail, much to the disappointment of New Hampton Mayor Bobby Schwickerath.
New Hampton Police also take their criminal subjects to the Chickasaw County Jail, now over 60 years old and in risk of being closed if a long term plan for replacement or upgrades isn’t in place soon.Â
The County and the City combined to pay $20,000 for a feasibility study of a new jail and/or law enforcement center by The Samuels Group, which proposed a facility with holding cells, booking area and office space for just over $13 million.
The County and the City then explored forming a joint authority to pursue a possible bond referendum and share building costs, with the County paying about 75% and the City about 25%.Â
The New Hampton City Council voted in favor of that approach earlier this month. However, earlier this week, the Board of Supervisors nixed the plan because they felt the County could lose too much control of the jail under a joint authority.
For now, Schwickerath says the City is left to contemplate what’s next for their police station.
Meanwhile, the County still needs to decide the fate of the jail, whether that’s building new or renovating the current location west of the County Courthouse in New Hampton. The Board has asked The Samuels Group to recalculate costs for constructing a new facility or remodeling the current jail (which could approach $5 million itself) factoring in only the Sheriff’s Office.Â
