On Tuesday, the Guthrie County Board of Supervisors approved a contract with Shive Hattery Architecture & Engineering Professional Services for Phase One of a needs assessment on the County Jail. County Sheriff Marty Arganbright is relieved to have the process move along as he continues to face a full jail.

“They (Shive Hattery) have built 20-some jails. They know how to get it started and (the) assessment will see how many inmates we need to hold, how big the jail will be, what we need to do whether we build it here or whether we build it onto the courthouse or have to move to a different location. I would prefer to have it here with the courthouse just for the convenience of being together.”

The Board just approved Phase One of a possible three-phase process for $14,000. The needs assessment should take 2-3 months to complete. The current facility is about 50 years old.