VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The Barnes County Commission unanimously voted to move forward with the bid process for a new jail, with the option to include or exclude a law enforcement center, depending on the cost of the bids submitted to the county within the next two months. Bids would be let to prospective contractors on May 18th.

The new estimate to build a jail and sheriff’s office is now at $15.9 million compared to $18.3 million released last month. The estimate was released by Klein McCarthy Architects during the commission meeting on April 21st after commissioners asked the firm to remove a few items from the high estimate.

Barnes County Commission president Bill Carlblom said the commission will make a final decision once they see what the lowest bid is on the total construction cost. He said if the bid goes over the $15.9 million dollar estimate the commission could exercise an option to eliminate the law enforcement center and just build a new jail.

Barnes County Auditor Beth Didier said under the plan the county would seek a 30 year bond to pay for the new jail at a cost of $805,000 annually to keep the project within the 10 mill requirement by the county.

Under the proposed plan, a new jail and law enforcement center would be built east of the existing National Guard facility along the I-94 frontage road in Valley City.

In 2019, the Department of Corrections said the 112 year old jail is unsafe for staff and inmates and no longer meets state required standards.

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