Story by Rod Zook
Reno County Commissioners gave approval to purchase land for a new county jail when they met Tuesday morning. The land which is owned by the Kansas Department of Corrections located south of the Hutchinson Correctional Facility at Severance and Blanchard. It encompasses 11-acres.
The total cost of the land is 39-thousand dollars. That purchase is contingent on the county getting a conditional use permit and presenting a final plat to the city. County Counselor Joe O’Sullivan told the board that all of that work should be completed by late October or early November.
The jail is part of a 29-million dollar bond issue passed by voters in April. The project also includes renovation for what is now the jail annex which will used for housing some county departments. The bond issue also covers renovation of the Law Enforcement Center and new security measures for the Reno County Courthouse.