Douglas County Sheriff Chris Degase said this week that he will be holding an open house at the jail this Saturday afternoon for those who wish to step inside the lock-up.
This is in response to requests that have been made at the town hall meetings where the sales tax issue for a new jail has been discussed.
The open house will be held from 1 to 3 p.m., and there will be restrictions.
Sheriff Degase said no one under 17 will be allowed to tour the jail, and those who do go in will be screened.
No knives or purses will be allowed, and Degase said those who visit the jail need to know they will have indirect contact with the inmates.
At town hall meetings held to promote the law enforcement sales tax, residents have been told about the jail conditions. However, it was pointed out here recently that most residents have never seen in side the jail.
This open house provides an opportunity for voters to see the jail and for the sheriff’s staff to point out specific areas that do not meet federal mandates.
TOWN HALL MEETING
AT SQUIRES
Folks in the Squires area are reminded that a town hall meeting will be held there on Tuesday, Oct. 19, to discuss the law enforcement sales tax.
That meeting will begin at 6 p.m. and will be held at the Squires Community Center.
The law enforcement sales tax will be presented to voters at the Nov. 2 election.
The proposal will be placed before voters in the form of two separate one-half cent sales taxes. One will be for the construction of a new justice center and jail, and the other for staffing and operations of the facility. Each one-half cent tax is expected to generate about $450,000.
Architects anticipate the new facility will cost approximately $5.6 million, to be paid off in 20 years. At that time, when the bonds are retired, that one-half cent tax would be reduced to one-eighth cent for continued maintenance of the facility.
The other one-half cent tax does not have a sunset clause.
Architects from the firm of Goldberg, Sullivan & McCrerey will be on hand at the Squires meeting to answer questions and to explain the project.
