The Burleigh County Commission has asked its human-resources director to develop a job description for a jail administrator.

Sheriff Steve Berg is the main administrator for the Burleigh County Detention Center, and he maintains that state law says the jail is under the sheriff's jurisdiction.

But the commission and Burleigh County State's Attorney Richard Riha say the North Dakota Century Code provides for the county to have a separate jail administrator and sheriff.

"In light of the sheriff's report at the last meeting, I'd like to have the human-resources director give a presentation on a new organizational chart for the detention center if we had our own jail administrator," Commissioner Scott Johnson said.

"I'd like to know if it would save us money. It seems the sheriff has scoffed and said our study (a third-party climate assessment study of the sheriff's department and detention center) is trash."

Last week, Berg held a press conference in which he condemned the assessment done by the Village Business Institute at the request of the commission.

In his prepared statement the sheriff posed this question, "What was the true purpose of this assessment?"

"Past comments at commission meetings clearly show that removing the jail from my administration is the goal," Berg said. "It will not happen on my watch. The will of the people, along with common business sense and state law, mandates the sheriff administer the jail."

It was the consensus of the commission to have newly appointed human-resources director Terry Czonek develop the job description for the jail administrator along with an organizational chart. This to be presented at the commission's next regular meeting Oct. 3.

(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 701-250-8255 or gordon.weixel@;bismarcktribune.com)