The Sac County Sheriff’s Office is holding a tour of their jail on Saturday for the public. This tour comes in light of the sheriff’s office’s calls for a new jail facility. Sac County Sheriff Katie Stange says the afternoon tour will be followed by a presentation on the facility.
Sheriff Stange says visitors can expect a comprehensive and accurate demonstration of the jail’s condition.
There is a bond measure on Nov. 3 for the proposed new structure, which would be across the street from the current jail, and carries a price tag of $10.8 million. This comes after two previous attempts to pass a bond for a new jail. Compared to previous iterations of the proposal, this year’s has the lowest cost. In the presentation, the Sac County Sheriff’s Office emphasizes that the likelihood of their facility being open for another year without this bond passing is slim. There have been calls to renovate the existing building rather than create a new structure, but Sheriff Stange explains why, due to building grandfather clauses, especially regarding compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, that the cost to renovate would meet, if not exceed, the cost of an entirely new jail.
If a new facility were to pass, the Sac County Sheriff’s Office says it would resemble the jail recently completed in Pocahontas County. The jail open house begins Sat. Aug. 29 at 3 p.m. at 100 NW State St. in Sac City. The entrance will be through the law enforcement center glass door on the north side of the courthouse. Images of the jail are attached to this story.
