Jefferson County court seeks ADR pilot, council approves $5,000 match and higher pay band for court administrative assistant
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Summary
A court official described an alternative dispute resolution pilot for child-welfare cases and sought $15,000 initial warrant and a county match; the council allocated the $5,000 match and approved advertising an administrative-assistant position at the 'third deputy' pay ($44,946).
An Unidentified Court Official presented an alternative dispute resolution (facilitation) program aimed at Child in Need of Services (CHINS) and termination cases and asked the council to authorize start-up funding. The county received a $10,000 grant from the Office of Court Services (competitive program) that requires a local match; the official requested a $15,000 warrant to pay the facilitator and asked the council to allocate a $5,000 county match to ensure the program is not cash-constrained.
The presenter said the program is designed to move cases toward reunification and avoid contested trials by using a neutral facilitator to narrow disputes and coordinate services such as drug treatment, parenting classes and residential programs. The presenter said the program could be run in the courthouse jury room and that the facilitator is ready to begin work if the council approves.
Council members discussed funding sources (including establishing a separate fund and using nonrestricted opioid funds) and the multi-year nature of grant eligibility. The council voted to allocate the full $5,000 county match requested and directed staff to advertise a separate fund to capture reimbursements and match contributions as appropriate.
Separately, the court requested permission to advertise an administrative-assistant position at an increased rate to attract applicants ahead of a court reporter retirement on March 31, 2026. Council members agreed to classify the position as equivalent to a third deputy at a advertised rate of $44,946 and to include the change in the next salary ordinance; that motion passed by voice vote.
Next steps: staff will create the warrant and fund code entries for the pilot, advertise the administrative-assistant vacancy at the new rate, and return to council with reimbursement tracking and outcome metrics for the ADR pilot.