Committee adds court security committee and shifts court facility responsibilities

The Rules and Strategic Planning Standing Committee approved amendments to the Richland County body-structure document to formally add a court security committee, align its membership and duties with a cited Supreme Court rule, and to add financial-monitoring language for the Fair, Recycling and Parks standing committee.

Staff presented a tracked-changes version of the county's committee structure and explained the court security committee had been omitted from earlier restructuring although the Supreme Court rule requires that each county have a court security committee with specified membership and quarterly meetings. The presentation noted the court security committee's purpose and membership are prescribed by the Supreme Court rule; the committee will report to the public safety standing committee for matters relating to the county board.

The changes also remove responsibility for court facility security from the public works (formerly property) standing committee and place those responsibilities into the newly enumerated court security committee. Staff said the court security committee has not met for years and that the arrival of a new judge is likely to prompt reconvening. Members also agreed to add financial monitoring language, consistent with other standing committees, to the Fair, Recycling and Parks standing committee.

Supervisor Glassbrenner moved the recommendation to the county board; the motion carried by voice vote.