Jackson County commissioners discussed a proposal on Oct. 14 to hire an engineering firm to develop plans for first-floor renovations at the Jackson County Courthouse that would allow juvenile court to be relocated back into the courthouse building.

Speakers said moving juvenile court into the courthouse would shorten law-enforcement response times and improve security compared with the current offsite facility. Commissioners indicated the work will require professional engineering and design services to reconfigure floor plans and accommodate juvenile court operations, and they directed staff to assemble a candidate list of engineering firms for the commission to consider and vote on at a later meeting.

No contract was awarded at the Oct. 14 meeting; commissioners agreed only to proceed with a candidate search and to return the matter to the agenda for a formal selection and vote.