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Chowan County approves regional jail feasibility study with Gates and Washington counties
Summary
The Chowan County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved participation in a regional jail feasibility study shared with Gates and Washington counties; Chowan’s estimated study cost is about $14,000 and results will inform future intercounty agreements.
The Chowan County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 3 unanimously approved a feasibility study to examine building a regional jail shared with Gates and Washington counties.
County Manager Kevin Howard told commissioners that Gates and Washington counties have already approved the proposal and that the study’s cost would be split based on population; he estimated Chowan’s share at approximately $14,000. Commissioner Ron Cummings moved to approve the study; the motion passed 6-0.
Howard said the study will consider building a new regional facility rather than expanding an existing jail, and that a future contract or memorandum of understanding among the counties would be brought back to the board for consideration if the study supports next steps. Commissioner Ellis Lawrence asked whether prior studies could be reused; Howard said the prior work examined expanding another county’s facility and therefore would not carry forward into this new feasibility effort.
The approval does not commit Chowan to construction or to a specific partner; it funds only the study to evaluate options, costs and governance structures. The board did not set a completion deadline at the meeting. The next procedural step, according to Howard, is to return with a contract or MOU outlining study scope and funding allocations for formal approval.
