Stearns County Schedules Public Meetings on New Justice Center

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- Stearns County has scheduled 20 public meetings to educate community members on the jail/justice center project and the plans to pay for it.

The county board voted in June to build the new complex on undeveloped land and move out of downtown St. Cloud.

The Minnesota Department of Corrections has been telling the county for years that the current jail has multiple deficiencies and needs to be renovated or replaced.

County commissioners decided it was the most affordable and most efficient after two independent studies showed renovating the current facilities would not be a prudent use of tax dollars.

September 12, 5:00-7:00 p.m. St. Martin Parish Hall
September 16, 7:00 p.m. St. Cloud Library
September 17, 5:00-7:00 p.m. Melrose City Hall
September 23, 5:00-7:00 p.m. Cold Spring | ROCORI HS | DES Building
September 24, 5:00-7:00 p.m. Elrosa Fire Hall
September 26, 5:00-7:00 p.m. Albany City Hall
September 30, 5:00-7:00 p.m. Brooten Pavilion
October 1, 5:00-7:00 p.m. St. Stephen City Hall
October 2, 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. St. Cloud Whitney Senior Center
October 3, 5:00-7:00 p.m. Luxemburg | St. Wendelin’s Mary Hall
October 7, 5:00-7:00 p.m. Sartell Community Center
October 8, 5:00-7:00 p.m. Paynesville City Hall
October 10, 5:00-7:00 p.m. Kimball Library
October 15, 5:00-7:00 p.m. Holdingford City Hall
October 16, 5:00-7:00 p.m. St. Augusta City Hall
October 17, 5:00-7:00 p.m. St. Joseph | Millstream Park/Shelter
October 21, 5:00-7:00 p.m. Sauk Centre City Hall
October 23, 5:00-7:00 p.m. Waite Park City Hall
October 24, 5:00-7:00 p.m. Eden Valley Community Center
October 28, 5:00-7:00 p.m. St. Cloud Library | Mississippi Room

The jail/justice center will include a full build out of a jail, law enforcement center, courtrooms, a courts facilities building, judge's chambers and the county attorney's office.

Voters will be asked to approve a 3/8-cent sales tax this November to raise $325-million to pay for it.

To learn more about the project, visit Stearns County's project webpage.