Sheriff Tom Johnson reported to the Coffey County Commission that the county's federal application to house inmates has been accepted for review and that federal authorities may take up to 120 days to proceed. "They finally allowed us to give us the okay to get that started and give us a way to get it done," Johnson said.

Johnson said the next phase includes federal inspection and negotiation around per-inmate reimbursement; he and staff said agencies had indicated a price point near $68.50 per inmate per day would be competitive. "The reason we didn't say $90 or $100 we kind of chose that. And again, Goldberg told us originally $68.5 was our was the lowest mark we want to try to get this," the sheriff said.

The sheriff also provided an operations snapshot: the jail cost approximately $532,013 to run in the last six months, with average daily populations cited around 26–27 inmates and highs up to 41. Johnson and other speakers discussed staffing ratios, transport duties and facility medical capabilities as negotiable points that can affect the final rate the federal government will agree to.

Officials said the county is preparing for the logistical elements federal partners will evaluate, including transport capacity, available medical services and facility security. Johnson described how negotiable checkboxes such as providing transportation to appointments, accepting interstate transfers and providing on-site medical capability can increase a county's bargaining position.

Commissioners and staff raised questions about year-to-year contract renegotiation and how the county would adjust if national or regional rates change. The sheriff said the initial contract would be annual with opportunities to renegotiate during the contract process.

The meeting also included discussion of recent building operational issues at the new jail, including HVAC and boiler filter problems that staff said they are addressing with vendors under warranty. Commissioners did not take formal action on the federal application during this session; Johnson said he will continue updates as the federal review proceeds.