Lyon County to keep jail in Yerington for now

Lyon County officials will work to update the jail in Yerington, rather than pursue a new facility elsewhere.

Though the Lyon County Commissioners voted last February to locate a new facility in Silver Springs, budget shortfalls have put those plans on hold.

"We're going to concentrate on the Yerington location, for now," said County Manager Dennis Stark. "The economic reality of it is that we can only really afford to put it here in Yerington at this time."

In February, the commission voted 3-2 to locate a new jail along with a possible public safety complex that would include police and justice courts in Silver Springs or Stagecoach, since those areas were central to the entire county. Staff was directed at the time to begin looking for available land in those areas.

Stark called the Yerington facility "antiquated" and said it needed more beds as well as electrical, plumbing and other upgrades.

"Every mechanical thing is either in need of repair or replacement," he said. "This is just to take stock of what we need to do, and the next step is to come up with plans and come up with RFPs (requests for proposals)."

Stark said a new facility in Silver Springs or Stagecoach still may become a reality somewhere down the road.

"Silver Springs will present a need at some point in time as far as location, just not now," he said.

He said an upgrade of the Yerington jail will fill the county's needs for five or 10 years, and in the meantime the sheriff can plan for a new facility, possibly to be located in Silver Springs.

"We'll have to reevaluate the Silver Springs area depending on the needs of the county, with development and growth expected," he said. "The issues still exist on proximity. It will probably happen in the distant future but the sheriff will have to plan for that in the long term future."

• Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com or 881-7351.