Committee approves amended Dunkirk lease to add public defender office space after repeated square-footage revisions

The Chautauqua County Public Facilities Committee on April 14 approved an amended lease with the City of Dunkirk to expand office space for the County Public Defender's Dunkirk satellite office.

Ned Baron, Public Defender, told the committee the Dunkirk office has served clients with limited transportation and that recent hiring has increased demand for attorney and support-staff workspace. Josh Rothwell, assistant deputy director of public facilities, said the amendment reduces the square footage from an earlier draft and that the county has worked with the city's mayor and attorney to clarify the correct rooms.

Committee discussion focused on a series of changes to the rooms offered by the city: the county had earlier adopted a resolution two months ago (resolution 77-25) that referenced 1,439 square feet; committee members and public defender staff said the city subsequently revised the offered rooms multiple times, at one point citing rooms that court administration said could not be leased because they serve as jury or attorney-client rooms. Derek Gregory of the public defender's office described multiple rounds of offered and withdrawn rooms and said the county received a new diagram and emails from the mayor that prompted today's amendment.

Committee members asked whether the city had seen the updated spreadsheet of rent calculations; staff said the city had not yet reviewed the spreadsheet assembled the morning of the meeting but that they had confirmed the room availability by email and with the Office of Court Administration. Some legislators expressed discomfort voting on a lease after same-day changes from the city; after discussion the committee voted to adopt the amended resolution.

Direct quotes from the meeting include Josh Rothwell's statement that the amended plan "is a 180 less square feet than other resolution was" and Ned Baron saying the additional space is needed because "we've noticed a significant increase in our attorneys and support staff." Committee members emphasized they had been prepared to move forward but expressed frustration about repeated revisions from the city's side.