Commissioner says time is ticking for new jail site

KFOR continues to follow the latest with the Oklahoma County Board of Commissioners meeting as they once again worked to whittle down the list of potential jail locations.

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - KFOR continues to follow the latest with the Oklahoma County Board of Commissioners meeting as they once again worked to whittle down the list of potential jail locations.

After a contentious round of public comment earlier in the day and a lengthy executive session, there was some progress: the County Commissioners voted to remove the Oklahoma City Stockyards from consideration.

That property would have been acquired through eminent domain because the landowners already said it's not for sale.

That leaves the property at 1901 East Grand Boulevard as the current frontrunner, and the Del City community is not happy about it.

"There is lot of opposition to it [and] I, for one, have yet to see anyone in favor if it, other than maybe the seller," said one man speaking from the podium during public comment.

But, District 3 County Commissioner Myles Davidson said both time and money are running short as the county continues to evaluate its options.

In the best interest of Oklahoma County's taxpayers, Davidson said the property at 1901 East Grand Blvd is the most viable option.

"We have to find a solution now to save taxpayer dollar...the 50 million that's in ARPA that we're at risk of losing. We're also looking at our bond funds and how the clock is ticking on that," said Davidson.

"We need to ensure that we're protecting all 800,000 taxpayers here in Oklahoma County...we have to do what we have to do in order to protect everybody," he added.

State Representative Jason Lowe, D-Oklahoma City, pointed to what he called the simplest solution.

"The deal should remain at its current location. It's near the police department, it's near the police...municipal court [and] it's centrally located near diversion programs. It's a great place to be , where it currently is," he said.

"We don't want a jail in a residential community."

While the Board of County Commissioners of Oklahoma County told KFOR the current jail location is not on their short list for consideration, it's possible additional sites to evaluate could be added to their next agenda.