LYNDON, Kan. – At a special election Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, local voters could determine whether future duties of the Osage County Sheriff’s Office will include operating a 120-bed detention center proposed to be built in Lyndon.
On the ballot is a special question, which if approved would establish a 1/2 cent countywide sales tax to pay costs to “design, construct, equip and furnish a new law enforcement and public safety center …” The tax would pay for the startup costs of a proposed $20 million county jail and law enforcement center, and initial payments on bonds issued to finance the project.
In a series of community meetings held around the county since last summer, Osage County Sheriff Chris Wells has promoted a proposal for a new law enforcement center and a possible 140-bed jail. Wells said, “Something has to change” at the current sheriff’s office and jail in Lyndon, Kan.
The sheriff’s office occupies a building that used to be a nursing home that was built in1964. In 2004, the building was condemned because the roof had fallen in. Promotional materials from the sheriff’s office said Osage County purchased the building in 2005 as a temporary solution for lack of room at the sheriff’s office, then housed in the jail by the courthouse.
The sheriff’s outline of problems at the office include black mold, rotting floors, holes in the floors, moldy evidence room, three full file rooms, unsecure dispatch room, leaking roof, rotting ceilings and attic space, need of paint, and outdated wiring and plumbing.
On a recent tour of the sheriff’s office, many of the problems the sheriff listed last summer still existed – mold on ceilings in some storage areas, spongy floors in some areas, apparent roof leaks. In a mildew-smelling room called the armory, where surplus items and longs guns were stored, mold was visibly growing on the guns’ wooden stocks – some of the guns were evidence from past crimes, the sheriff said.
The evidence rooms shown during the tour were overflowing with shelves filled with boxes and file cabinets almost everywhere they would fit. One room shown was filled with what appeared to be personal effects, almost so full the door couldn’t be opened. Wells said he was uncertain of what was stored there.
Literature provided by the sheriff’s office says the current jail was built in 1985 with 25 beds, and when the sheriff’s office moved in 2006, 10 beds were added. Though the jail was built to be expanded with an upper level, foundation issues have since excluded that option. The foundation problems have also caused several cells to be inoperable, and flooding occurs in some cells. The current jail also has mold issues and lack of storage space. Wells said several inmates have filed lawsuits against the sheriff’s office and the county due to conditions in the jail.
The upcoming election question is for a 1/2 cent countywide sales tax for four years, but it is tied to the $20 million proposal for a new law enforcement center and jail, which is based on a plan for the county to issue bonds to be paid off over 35 years. According to calculations provided by the Osage County Clerk’s Office as additional information for the ballot question, a project cost of $19,997,500, with added $297,500 in fees would total $20,295,000 for the amount of the bonds issued. An interest rate of 3.28 percent would cost the county $16,274,045 in interest by the end of the 35-year term. Annual payment amount for the county would $937,667. The total amount paid in principal and interest after 35 years would be $36,569,045. The half-cent sales tax for startup costs is expected to generate $791,173 per year for four years.
