The law enforcement center in Jefferson may get a new home.

The Greene County Supervisors recently discussed purchasing the Midland Power Cooperative administrative building on East Lincoln Way. Midland Power officials approached the County about acquiring the building when their new administrative building is complete in Boone. After touring the facility, Supervisor Chair John Muir and Greene County Sheriff Jack Williams were impressed with how sturdy the structure was and it would make an ideal location for the law enforcement center. 

If the County were to purchase the building, Midland Power would maintain ownership of the storage building located west of the admin building, but the County would also get 11 additional acres to the south, which Muir thought could be used to construct a new county jail. Additionally, Muir pointed out at the Supervisors meeting on Monday there would be a $4 million savings to the County to convert the current Midland Power building into law enforcement offices, as opposed to building new. 

Muir said every year they get the same inefficiencies pointed out in the yearly jail inspection report, which they are grandfathered in for since the jail was built in the 1970s.

“These are requirements we’re going to be forced to meet at some point. This is the opportunity now to move that direction at a savings for this part of the project. A jail no matter what you do is at this point in time has to be a new built building to meet all of the requirements. That would be the next phase.”

Muir added that an active county attorney who is putting more people in jail which would require more space to hold criminals. All of the Supervisors indicated that they were in favor of moving forward with negotiations with Midland to possibly purchase the building.