Kewaunee County puts prison progress on hold

The wait for a new jail in Kewaunee County will have to go on a little longer. The Kewaunee County Board of Supervisors has voted 9-9 to reject an amended motion to stop retaining Cadence Consulting as the owner's agent for the proposed jail project. The amended motion added additional terms to the original contract. Had the project gone forward, Cadence Consulting would have acted on behalf of the county for the jail project, starting with the request for proposal (RFP) and continuing through construction of the facility. The contract was divided into two phases, with the second phase allowing groundbreaking. Future staffing issues, lower costs of housing inmates elsewhere, higher costs of building materials and the election were all reasons the board would not support the motion. Supervisor Joe Lukes says whatever needs to be done needs to be started.

Kewaunee County Sheriff Matt Joski acknowledged the staffing issues, but said the county can no longer rely on the work of other counties to do its job.

The Kewaunee County Council has passed resolutions calling for state investment in mental health funding and declaring its commitment to affordable internet access. You can watch the full discussion about the contract with Cadence Consulting below.