VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The cost estimate to renovate a portion of the Barnes County Correctional Facility is $3.5 million dollars.

Barnes County jail committee member Randy McClaflin said the estimate is only for a portion of the existing facility and does not include new cell blocks or jail doors.

Jail committee chairperson Bill Carlblom the plan doesn’t fix everything.

He added that if we renovate under this plan we still may not be compliant.

Jail committee member Dean Kinney said after reading the report there may be an argument to build a new jail being several items don’t appear to meet some state requirements.

The architect, Alan Dostert submitted a 24 page report this month that itemizes cost estimates to renovate the Barnes County Jail. The report from the architectural firm based in Fargo cost the county $17,000.

Carlblom said we should schedule a public input meeting to see what direction the community wants the county to take concerning the jail.

Other committee members believe it’s important to let the public know what all the options are with the estimated cost of renovating or building a new jail. McClaflin added that the public also needs to know what the cost of transporting inmates would be to the county if the jail facility in Barnes County is closed.