Sheriff seeks county help to build outdoor shooting range at jail property; board agrees to begin planning

Sheriff Ciccarello told the board the county’s current firearms range is off‑site, lacks classroom and restroom facilities, and cannot support rifle training. He asked the Department of Public Works for assistance building an outdoor range adjacent to the jail campus that would include classroom space and bathroom access. "We'd like something that we can extend, to be a short rifle range as well," Ciccarello said. He said staff reached out to the state Department of Environmental Conservation and found no obvious regulatory obstacles to the site under consideration. Tom Windus told the board the county has acreage adjacent to the jail that surveyors and safety reviewers found suitable. Windus proposed initial planning steps — surveying the parcel, laying out berms using on‑site gravel and producing cost estimates — with minimal immediate cash outlay beyond staff time and equipment. "I really think we can just move some material around to get them a berm all the way around it for safety," Windus said. Several board members asked about cost and potential need for engineering; Windus said early planning would use county surveyors to develop a scope and cost estimate and that grants could be pursued if appropriate. Members also discussed neighbor notification and siting parallel to the railroad tracks to limit impact on nearby properties. A motion to proceed with planning and initial surveying passed by voice vote; no construction funds were approved at the meeting.