(KNSI) – St. Cloud will discuss a potential resolution pressuring Stearns County to keep its jail downtown.
The measure is scheduled for debate during the next city council meeting on Monday night. It is being introduced by member George Hontos. If it was adopted and successful in persuading the county, the current facility would need to be expanded. That would likely require the county to purchase adjacent land, driving up the cost of construction.
The resolution says the current plans to relocate to unspecified greenspace elsewhere in the city would cripple potential revitalization efforts and threatens the economic viability of downtown. It says the jail has existed within downtown for decades and that relationship deserves to continue well into the future.
The county has already begun an educational campaign to the public making the case for the move. Voters will be asked to approve a 3/8 cent sales tax in November to cover the cost of the estimated $320 million jail project.
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