Progress continues on a project to build a new Saline County Jail and sheriff’s office facility.

Back on Wednesday, March 2nd, a team including county staff, architects, and construction managers ventured to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to review the first precast block of two cells that has been manufactured for Saline County’s jail. Those cells are now in Salina, with more arriving daily. They are starting to be set in place.

According to Saline County, over the next couple of weeks crews will set the remaining cells in place while other teams are working to erect block walls in areas where those walls will be load-bearing. Structural steel beams are scheduled to start being placed next week as well. Once all the precast cells are set, concrete crews will return to pour slabs in the dayroom areas between cells.

The new jail project was approved by voters. A one-half percent sales tax to help pay for the new building was enacted on April 1st, 2021.

The special half-cent sales tax that is funding the jail construction bond payments continues to come in strong, based on continuing growth of taxable sales throughout the community. The County made the first interest payment on last summer’s bond issue in February, but funds are already available for the first principal payment that is due in August. While it is still early in the payment process, a very conservative estimate projects that the bonds will be paid off up to seven years early.

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Photo by Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan: The first double-cell unit being lowered onto its concrete base.