Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Defender Lease topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Chautauqua County approves amended Dunkirk City Hall lease to expand public defender satellite office
Summary
The county approved an amended lease with the City of Dunkirk to add office space for the Chautauqua County Public Defender's Dunkirk satellite office; committee members pressed the panel on changing measurements and increased square footage, and staff said the space and cost are grant-funded by Indigent Legal Services.
The Chautauqua County Public Safety Committee approved an amended lease with the City of Dunkirk to add office space for the county Public Defender's Dunkirk satellite office, increasing the total leased area to 1,855 square feet, officials said.
Ned Barone, Chautauqua County Public Defender, described the office as a satellite to serve Dunkirk City Court and town courts in the northern part of the county. Barone said the extra space helps represent clients who have difficulty traveling to Mayville and called the expansion "instrumental" to client representation as the office has grown to meet Indigent Legal Services requirements.
Josh Rothwell, assistant deputy director of public facilities, told the committee the amended lease adds 80 square feet to the previously leased footprint and brings the total to 1,855 square feet. "This is all grant paid for also. So, no local shares are involved with any of this," Rothwell said, stating the expansion is funded through grant money approved by Indigent Legal Services.
Committee members raised concerns about shifting room offers and changing measurements. Members noted a prior resolution in March and questioned whether Dunkirk had altered the available rooms; staff said the city provided revised floor plans and a corrected Schedule A showing the exact rooms and square footage. Barone and staff said the city confirmed the rooms intended for the lease were vacant and that the county and city had reached agreement on the amended Schedule A.
Committee discussion included specific measurements: staff said the amendment increases county space from about 775 square feet earlier discussed to 1,855 square feet, and that the net additional area was 664 square feet according to their spreadsheet. Barone said the additional space includes a roughly 700-square-foot former conference room that will be used as a conference area with some cubicles.
Committee members approved the amended lease by voice vote. The transcript records the item as carried; no roll-call tally with named votes appears in the record.
