The Kuhn Memorial Hospital property has been recommended as a possible site for a new county jail by the city’s jail committee, according to a letter from the city to the Warren County Board of Supervisors.

The 12.5-acre site is one of four recommended by the committee as potential jail sites. The other three, which are all in the county, include a 13-acre site on U.S. 80 near Pear Orchard Subdivision, the 49-acre Strong/Pinewood Hotel site on U.S. 80 and a 165-acre tract on U.S. 61 South across from the entrance to LeTourneau Road.

Board of Supervisors President Richard George said three of the recommended sites have been examined by county officials. He said the supervisors heard of the 13-acre site but have not looked at it.

George said he sent each of the supervisors a copy of the letter and its recommendations, adding the letter will probably be discussed at a board work session Monday.

Mayor George Flaggs Jr. said Thursday the letter was in response to a suggestion by the supervisors that the city recommend potential sites for the new county jail.

“We’ve got a response for them,” he said at a meeting of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen Thursday. “We’ve got four pieces of property for them that we would gladly assist them in building as jail, in or outside the city without going to Ceres.”

Flaggs, however, indicated he still intended to move ahead with a 35-cell holding facility for the city that he estimated would cost about $3.6 million. But if the county would allow the city “to have input in their facility the $3-something million dollars we would use to expand our facility can be placed with them, and that’s collaboration.

“We’ll cooperate with them and put this $3.6 million with them to retire their debt and it’s cheaper for the taxpayers. Why not build a facility that can accommodate our folks, too, and have a court that can be diversified and utilized for any court arraignment. It’s just that simple to me.”

South Ward Alderman Alex Monsour said the city’s site recommendations were in part influenced by suggestion from residents.

“We need a jail. The grand jury has told them many, many times, we need a jail and we know we need a jail and we want to help them (the supervisors) and we want to give them these recommendations and they’re coming from the people more so than from the Board of Mayor and Aldermen.”

George said the supervisors looked at the Kuhn site “early, early on,” and examined the U.S. 61 South and Pinewood Hotel sites.

He said the Kuhn property is a smaller site, “And if anyone would walk around behind the building and look at that hole, it’s self-evident what’s wrong with it. On top of that, we get right back to the same situation we found in other locations — what is going to be the reception of the neighborhood you pick to put a jail in the middle of it.

“These people are your citizens and taxpayers, and I think they need to be given some consideration.”

Besides utilities and a residential area nearby, George said the Pinewood site is located on U.S. 80, one of the roads on which Sheriff Martin Pace does not want the jail located.

“Each and every site has some attributes and some liabilities,” he said.

The U.S. 61 South site across from LeTourneau Road is not in a floodplain, he said, but site preparation would be expensive, and the only alternate for that site, if U.S. 61 South is blocked, “Is single lane gravel road going the opposite direction of Vicksburg.”