In unanimous votes during separate meetings, the Webster County Board of Supervisors and the Fort Dodge City Council approved the articles of incorporation for the Webster County Public Safety Authority.

“The creation of a Public Safety Authority is an important step in addressing a longstanding unsustainable problem and facility need that affects both Webster County and Fort Dodge,” Webster County Supervisor Niki Conrad said Tuesday morning.

Tuesday’s votes did not authorize the building of a new facility. And no bond issues or tax levies were approved as a result of those votes.

“Today is a very preliminary step,” Webster County Attorney Darren Driscoll said. “There’s been no vote to approve a jail.”

Fort Dodge City Manager David Fierke said Tuesday evening that the action by the supervisors and City Council was the first move in a long process that ultimately will conclude with a referendum vote during the November general election that will give the voters the final say.

He said the next step will be appointing the members of the three-person board that will be in charge of the authority. He said the City Council will act on those appointments on July 13.

That board will consist of one member appointed by the Board of Supervisors, one appointed by the council and one appointed by both bodies.

The hoped-for new building would house the Fort Dodge Police Department, the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, the jail and the 911 dispatch center. It would be owned by the Public Safety Authority.

It would replace the current Law Enforcement Center at 702 First Ave. S. that was built in 1982.

The jail in that building holds at most 45 inmates, which is not adequate to meet the needs. Its small size forces the county to spend about $250,000 a year to house inmates in the jails of other counties.

On a regular basis, inmates who are considered unlikely to get in trouble again are released just to free up space in the jail.

The current jail poses a safety hazard to jailers, according to Sheriff Luke Fleener.

The building is also plagued with maintenance issues, including water leaks, sewer backups, mold and generally unreliable building systems.

Where a new Law Enforcement Center would be located and what kind of tax levy would be needed to finance it have not been determined yet. The location will be in the city limits of Fort Dodge, however.

One person addressed the City Council about the issue Tuesday.

TJ Pingel, the president of a support group for first responders called Serving Our Servants, said he is “fully in favor” of the plan for a new Law Enforcement Center.

He thanked the council for working with the Board of Supervisors on the proposal.

“It does feel like the city and the county are finally on the same page on a new LEC,” he said.

“I truly believe that this will provide a better public safety system for everyone who lives and works in Webster County,” he added.

This is the second attempt to build a new Law Enforcement Center in the last three years. In 2023, the voters rejected a plan to borrow $45.5 million to build a new 60,692-square-foot facility with a 130-bed jail.

Kelli Bloomquist contributed to this story.