Cleveland County Commissioners voted 3-0 Monday to ask county voters to approve a one-fourth of one-cent sales tax for a new jail Dec. 9.

The jail, estimated to cost $39.5 million, is planned for county-owned land at U.S. Highway 77 and Franklin Road. Cleveland County is one of the few counties in Oklahoma that does not have a county sales tax on top of city and state sales taxes.

Commissioners are asking for a 20-year tax or until the long-term debt on the jail is paid off.

"We feel that sales tax collection in the county will increase and we will be able to pay this obligation in less than 20 years or when the debt is paid, which ever should occur earlier," according to a statement from George Skinner, commission chairman.

After the meeting commissioner Rusty Sullivan said the existing detention center, completed in 1984, was designed to hold 139 prisoners. With double bunking the jail has been approved by the State Department of Health to hold 177 prisoners.

The average number of prisoners for the week of Sept. 23 through 30 was 194, Capt. Ed Miller of the sheriff's department reported to commissioners.

The jail has been averaging about 180-200 for the past couple of years and the health department has told commissioners the county could be fined $10,000 a day if something is not done.

Skinner said the size of some of the cells allow two and sometimes three prisoners to share one cell.

Although overcrowding is the only reason the state is telling Cleveland County to do something the present jail is deteriorating in "dog years," said assistant district attorney Dave Batton.

Because of the constant turnover, a jail ages seven years in one, he said.

In other business, Skinner read a proclamation honoring Joan Barker and her work with the Workforce Investment Act providing national and state job training. Barker is leaving the workforce.

Barker has worked with the program for 25 years and through her efforts, Skinner read, "Cleveland County has been the recipient of approximately $400,000 or more each year in grants for development programs for the training, retraining or placement of workers in Cleveland County.

"And I know it's true," Skinner said. "I have worked with her 18 of those years."

Barker received a standing ovation.

In other personnel matters, the board appointed Pamela Dominic and Bill Edmondson as receiving officers for the Judicial Resources Board. Rusty Sullivan, David Poarch and Sandee Coogan were appointed requesting officers for the same account.

Commissioners gave the go ahead to Cleveland County Home Loan Authority to issue tax credit for first time home buyers in the county. Since the early 1990s, Cleveland County has issued $20,000,000, said Lindsay Bailey, the authority's attorney.

The board approved an interlocal agreement with the City of Norman for the Veterans Memorial Project.

Batton said it was just a formality and he understood it that it will be on the city's agenda Oct. 14.

"As long as it is before Nov. 11," Batton said.

Commissioners also entered into an interlocal agreement with the Lexington School District for the maintenance and building of streets, parking lots, roads and driveways connecting with the state or county highway systems. The county also may do some dirt work at the school.

The agreement allows Lexington to piggyback bid amounts on the county contracts, Sullivan said.

They are building a new high school," Sullivan said. "They are trying to open it by the Christmas break."

Commissioners tabled action of invoices received from Pottawatomie County for housing inmates in July and August.

"We just want to make sure our figures mesh," Skinner said.

Monthly reports from the county assessor, county clerk, court clerk and county treasurer were accepted by commissioners.

The Cleveland County Justice Authority met after the meeting and the board heard a proposal by David Beeler of Metroplex Control Systems for the security electronic system for the new jail.

Metroplex provides security systems for "mini-county jails, to medium county jails, to large county, state and federal," Beeler said. "The whole gamut."

Beeler said his company only works with correctional facilities. They have clients nationwide and are working to establish clients in Canada.

Peggy Laizure 366-3544 plaizure@normantranscript.com