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Crook County Jail Plans Moving Forward

PRINEVILLE, OR -- Shortly after voters approved a jail bond, two weeks ago, Crook County officials were moving fast to get the project underway. Sheriff John Gautney is encouraged by the early progress. "The county has put out an RFP – a request for proposal – for contractors to look at. We’ve had a pre-proposal meeting, where contractors came and met with the county. And, now we’re waiting for them [RFPs] to come back in."

 

He expects to have a contractor selected by mid-December, "There’s got to be design work done. And then there’s got to be some infrastructure work done; sewer lines and water lines and things like have got to be moved and reinstalled. We’ll get that done ahead of time, I believe, and then preparation of the property." Sheriff Gautney says site prep and infrastructure will take several months. Actual construction of the $17 million facility is scheduled to begin next October.

 

With the election of Seth Crawford to County Judge, the County Court will be short one Commissioner, come January. Gautney says that shouldn't impact the progress they've made. "Hopefully they can get someone – that third Commissioner – appointed soon, that way they can move forward with the things they need to do. But, I know both the new County Judge and the new Commissioner, Jerry Brummer and Seth Crawford, have been very supportive of the jail."
 
Crook County voters passed the $10 million bond in the November general election, 60-40%. Gautney says, "We’re very happy that it passed and I just wanted to say that it would not be possible had it not been for the community getting behind it and realizing that we needed to move forward with this project." Crook County’s 76-bed jail will be built just east of the Sheriff's Office on Northeast Second Street. It's slated to open October of 2018.

 

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