VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The state wants Barnes County to have a plan in place at the end of this year concerning the 110 plus year old jail.

Earlier this year, the state said due to the age of the facility the county would be given until the end of the year to decide whether to repair, renovate or build a new jail.

On Wednesday, May 2nd State Director of Facility Operations Don Redmann gave the Barnes County jail committee a number of options on building a new jail that won’t take the taxpayers for a ride.

Redmann encouraged the community to get together to see what the best options are for the county. He said the layout of the jail presents security and liability issues if something bad happens to a staff member or an inmate.

Members of the Barnes County Jail Committee thanked Redmann for his continued advice. But the final decision rests with the commission and the community.

Earlier this year, an architectural cost estimate of building a 20 bed facility was pegged at $5 million dollars. Redmann said that cost could be lower if the committee looks at cost saving options that meet state approval.