With an 11 to 6 vote on Monday, the Herkimer County Legislature authorized County Attorney Robert Malone to retain services of Paul K. Hatzinger Inc., of Utica, to perform a market value appraisal of the property proposed for the jail site in the town of Schuyler.
The cost of the appraisal is estimated between $1,500 and $2,000, according to Malone.
The action being contingent upon the prior receipt by the county of written assurance of the availability of municipal water and sewer services to the site.
Chairman Raymond Smith, of Little Falls, said the results could be available by the next meeting, on July 23, with further steps involving negotiating the price with the property owner and lastly having the legislature “make a decision.”
The choice of Hatzinger resulted from previous work with the county. He also meets the dual specialized requirements of being able to perform the appraisal and testify in court, said Malone. With the latter being necessary if the property needs to be obtained through eminent domain legal proceedings.
The two parcels of real property total 164.5 acres adjacent to the Schuyler Business Park off Route 5, according to the report by the Public Safety and Emergency Management and Finance committees.
Speaking as one of the six no votes, Legislator Joseph Chilelli, of Herkimer, agreed the Schuyler site is viable.
Chilelli cited the size requirements of the new jail as the reason for his opposition. He used the example of the average inmate numbers provided by Herkimer County Sheriff Christopher Farber — 58 last year and 64 so far this year — as the basis to argue the proposed 130-bed facility is not in line with the counties’ needs.    
Smith said he previously sent a letter requesting a reduction to 108 beds to the New York State Commission of Corrections (SCOC), which rejected it.   
Chilelli countered that if the legislature sent a request with a statistical report on the needs of the county the commissioner might reconsider, adding “We can always expand.”
Following the legislative session, Smith said it is important to have facilities that are “large enough for the future.”
At a meeting June 17 with the SCOC Chairman Daniel Stewart, Smith said the county was given 60 days to show some progress.
Legislator John Piseck, German Flatts and Herkimer, requested the attendees of the meeting provide a synopsis of their opinions as to the stance of the chairman. 
Present at the SCOC meeting, Legislator Vincent J. Bono, of Schuyler, quoted Stewart, “You cannot kick the can any longer.” 
The initiation of the appraisal is important because it provides a display of forward movement, according to Smith. He explained the current Herkimer County Jail is operating under a renewable 90-day variance allowing the SCOC to close the facilities if sufficient action isn’t taken.
The SCOC required the jail to make improvements, which the county did, said Smith. But, “They could pull that variance...and we would be boarding everyone out,” referring to the process of sending inmates to neighboring counties, which would cost the county “well over two million dollars.”
“It certainly has been a rough road,” said Smith. “..to do the right thing for the taxpayers.”