Judges and Recovery Court seek roughly $650,000 to renovate former General Sessions Court for consolidated recovery services

Judges and Recovery Court officials asked Sumner County commissioners on March 13 to approve renovation funding for part of the former General Sessions Court building so Recovery Court and the Recovery Court Foundation can consolidate offices, clinical services and program space.

Judge Blanton, speaking for the Recovery Court and the foundation, said the requested renovation would convert roughly 8,800 square feet into shared space for intensive outpatient programming, celebrating-families sessions, storage for medications and supplies, and administrative offices. He asked the county to appropriate up to $650,000 to cover construction and a contingency; the Opioid Abatement Committee had roughly $500,000 tentatively set aside for the project, and Judge Blanton said he planned to request the remainder in his capital budget if necessary.

Judge Blanton described the operational need: Recovery Court currently operates in multiple rented and county-owned locations and lacks accessible, consolidated classroom and clinical space. He said the program serves roughly 70–76 participants weekly and can accommodate up to 100. Blanton cited program outcomes during his presentation, saying the court’s recidivism rates are substantially below state and national averages: "We have probably the best recidivism rate of anywhere in the country," he said, adding the local general-sessions recidivism rate runs below 8 percent and criminal-court recidivism below 14 percent versus statewide and national averages.

Finance staff provided fiscal context: an ADA transition plan for the entire former courthouse area showed an estimated $752,081 cost to bring the whole site into compliance; the specific conversion estimate for the Recovery Court portion — produced by county facilities/contractors — was $631,950; Judge Blanton requested a rounded $650,000 budget request to cover escalation and a 10 percent contingency. County staff and judges noted that rising material costs argue for a reasonable contingency and that using opioid-abatement funds could reduce the county’s immediate capital ask.

Representatives of the Recovery Court Foundation described how consolidation would reduce recurring rent and utility costs the foundation currently pays. The foundation reported annual grant and donation receipts of about $243,000 and said it currently spends roughly $202,000 annually to support participants (including housing, medication such as Vivitrol, counseling and graduation expenses). The foundation also leases and maintains recovery houses for program participants; the foundation pays rent and utilities on multiple properties to provide transitional housing for participants who otherwise have no stable residence.

Judges and staff explained benefits beyond economy: a consolidated facility would provide private, ADA-compliant space for medication administration (the record shows Vivitrol doses currently stored and administered in cramped office space), private offices for clinical assessments, on-site counseling that can bill insurance for some services, storage for secure medical supplies, and classroom space for gender-specific groups and family reintegration programs. Judge Blanton said consolidation would reduce the need for deputies and courthouse space now used for classes and events, potentially reducing county operational costs.

Commissioners and staff discussed process issues including how the county would split the building with the sheriff’s office (the sheriff’s side would remain secured) and how any appropriation would be coordinated between Gen Ops and the Opioid Abatement Committee. Finance staff said the proposed use meets the state opioid-abatement funding guidelines (exhibit E in the packet) but that final appropriation would follow committee approvals and budget processing. Sheriff Pratt provided written support and had confirmed he walked the space with county staff in advance.

Judge Blanton told commissioners he would include any shortfall in his capital budget request so the project could proceed even if opioid funds fell short: "I'm gonna ask for it on the front end and then give you back what we don't spend," he said. No formal appropriation vote was taken at the meeting; staff said the item would return for formal consideration through Opioid Abatement and Gen Ops in early April and, if approved, move to the full commission for final appropriation.

The packet and presentation included layout drawings, cost estimates and photographs of current Recovery Court and foundation spaces, demonstrating limited classroom area, cramped offices, stacked storage for closed files and lack of ADA access. Staff proposed a project timeline that, if approved, would engage an architect and aim for construction completion in roughly a year, with contract and appropriation steps to run through Gen Ops, Budget and the full commission.