VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The 100 plus year old Barnes County jail was inspected by the state last month.

Sheriff Randy McClaflin said a structural engineer looked at the building and other state inspectors checked plumbing, electrical and fire codes. The inspection also included environmental issues surrounding asbestos, lead paint and mold. McClaflin said there is no mold in the building and there were no issues with asbestos or lead paint following the inspection.

The state said due to the age of the facility and layout of the building for modern security issues the county was given a timeline to decide whether or not to repair or renovate the existing facility or build a new one. More details on that will be released later.

The Barnes County Commission will discuss jail options at their regular board meeting Tuesday, February 6th around 9:30am. A special meeting about the jail will also be held Tuesday, February 6th at 2pm in the Barnes County Highway Department conference room. The public is encouraged to attend either of these meetings.

Ten years ago, support to build a multi-county correctional facility crumbled after there wasn’t enough funding to cover the cost of building a new structure.