Morton County to Consider "Plan B" to Regional Jail - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

     A new wrinkle has been thrown into the discussion regarding a potential co-county jail.

     Staffing, administration, transport and ownership issues have dominated talks of whether to build a Burleigh-Morton County jail.  Those specifics took a backseat once a potential "Plan B" came to light for Morton County Commissioners.

     "There's a piece of property on the Southeast corner of this block, which Morton County owns, that is an apartment building and we have come to understand that the owner has some interest in selling that property," says Bruce Strinden, Chair of the Morton County Commission.  "That being the case, that certainly gives us another option to consider, because ultimately, that would give us more space."

     The Commission decided they will now check into two separate options:  The cost to be part of a regional jail -- versus expanding their existing Morton County facility.  Commissioner Strinden said that while they're leaning toward a joint project with Burleigh County, it's a topic that's not going away soon.