Otay Mesa

The San Diego City Council unanimously approved an agreement with the county Board of Supervisors Tuesday that will lead to construction of a $6.5-million, 200-bed jail believed to be the first such privately operated facility in California.

The jail, to be built on county-owned land on East Otay Mesa, would house 200 people who have been arrested but not arraigned on misdemeanor charges. County officials have estimated that more than 100 such prisoners are released from county jails every day because of crowding.

Approved by the supervisors last week, the memorandum of understanding still requires ratification by the Regional Criminal Justice Facilities Financing Agency. Once that approval is obtained, the city will seek quick passage of state legislation authorizing $12 million in loans over three years for construction and operation of the jail, said Assistant City Manager Jack McGrory.

McGrory said he is optimistic that money will be approved in two to four weeks.

The agreement also says the city would use Proposition A sales-tax proceeds to pay for construction. That measure was narrowly approved by voters in 1988, but was ruled illegal last year because it did not pass by a two-thirds majority. An appeal of the ruling is expected to go to the state Supreme Court, and could take two years.

The city is negotiating with Wackenhut Corrections Corp., a Florida-based company, to build and operate the jail.