NEW JAIL, COURTHOUSE BEING CONSIDERED

Pittsburg County commissioners have started action toward possible
construction of a new Pittsburg County Jail and a new county courthouse.

They just don't know how to pay for it.

"That's down the road," said Pittsburg County District 3 Commissioner Randy
Crone.

Pittsburg County District 1 Commissioner Gene Rogers and District 2
Commissioner H.A. "Bear" Gilliam, have voted to retain a bond counsel, a
local attorney and a financial advisor to look at financing options for the
courthouse and county jail projects

Crone also supports the idea.

Building a new courthouse and jail would require passage of a bond or sales
tax issue. Crone said there is no projection on how much the measure would
cost, or how much of a bond or sales tax increase would be required at this
point.

No sites have been selected for any of the proposed buildings to be
constructed, he said.

"It's too early," Crone said.

"We have a citizens group together that's looking at the possibility of a
new courthouse and a new jail," Crone said. "We're also looking at an
animal shelter,."

The group is being headed by McAlester businessman Mike Ward.

The jail presents the most pressing problem.

"The jail itself is so overcrowded," Crone said. When the jail was built,
it was designed to hold no more than 65 inmates.

Sometimes more than 100 inmates have been crowded into the jail, built in
the early 1970s.

"The biggest deal back then was a little marijuana and public drunk," Crone
said, noting that the surge of methamphetamine use has caused the jail to
be filled.

The courthouse, which Crone said last underwent a major renovation in 1926,
presents another set of problems.

"It doesn't meet fire codes," he said. "The plumbing is terrible." Problems
occur with heating and air conditioning.

An alternative is renovating or building an addition to the Pittsburg
County Jail and constructing a county administration building, according to
Crone.

A county administration building would house county officers, such as the
offices of the county clerk, county treasurer, county assessor and the
commissioners.

That plan would leave everyone dealing with the courts, such as the offices
district attorney, judges and court clerk, in the current courthouse.

Marshal Hawkins is working as a financial consultant on the project. Crone
said Ben Graves is working on the architectural side of the project

The commissioner said an agreement states Hawkins and the architect "do not
get any payment until we find out how we're going to pay for it."

Attorney Eddie Harper is serving as the local counsel through the Pittsburg
County Economic Development Authority.

"We want a thorough look at this deal and we want to get a feel for what
the citizens of this county want," Crone said.