JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The Stutsman County Commission will look to establish an agreement with Barnes County as they continue their talks of building a new jail.

In April, the Barnes County Jail Committee moved to pursue resources to build a new jail at an estimated cost of $9 million to $13 million. Stutsman County Sheriff Chad Kaiser says right now, they’re providing space to inmates that currently can’t be kept at the Barnes County Jail.

Kaiser says they come to Stutsman County to get inmates for court in Barnes County, but he says they’re willing to continue housing any and all inmates as they need.

Sheriff Kaiser says he’ll talk to Barnes County Sheriff Randy McClafflin about the agreement. The commission moved to have Commission Chairman Mark Klose reach out to Barnes County about an agreement.

Kaiser said he’s told Barnes County before that they could contract beds in Stutsman County.

The current Barnes County Jail is 110 years old and has lost several certifications allowing them to keep inmates no longer than four days.

In April of 2019, members of the Barnes County Jail committee voted to pursue every available resource to build a new jail estimated at $9 to $13 million.

In March of 2019, the Valley City Barnes County Development Corporation approved a proposal to allow the county to purchase land for the new facility along the I-94 corridor east of Valley City.

The chairman of the Barnes County jail committee Bill Carlblom said he and other members like the idea of building a joint law enforcement center to house the Sheriff’s office, Police department, 9-1-1 dispatch center inside a 40 bed jail facility.