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Judge seeks AOC/OJD task‑force support to fund courthouse security and ADA improvements
Summary
Harney County's judge proposed a roughly $1.75 million AOC/OJD task‑force request to add a front security entry, relocate ADA public access, and replace the elevator; the court treated the item as informational and said any funding would be decided through the task force and the 2027 legislative session.
Harney County's judge briefed the court Dec. 3 on a proposed submission to the AOC/OJD courthouse capital‑improvement task force seeking funds for security and accessibility upgrades at the county courthouse.
The proposal outlined a new roughly 500‑square‑foot front addition (described as a glass‑box entry), relocation of public ADA access to the front door, conversion of an existing rear door to employee access, and work on the elevator (possible replacement to provide doors on both sides). The judge described demolition and structural work, an elevator estimate of about $200,000 and a design estimate near $100,000, and placed the preliminary total request at about $1.75 million.
Court members discussed whether the state or county should fund courthouse security; the judge explained that under the so‑called "grand bargain" the county retains responsibility to provide facilities and security even though staffing and many court personnel are state funded. The judge said the task force ranks requests and those rankings inform the 2027 legislative funding cycle; any awarded funds would likely not be available until late 2027 or early 2028, followed by engineering and construction phases.
No formal action was requested; the judge characterized the item as informational and said he planned to attend task‑force meetings to emphasize the county's need for consideration.
