Dolores County judges urge office reconfiguration, County to pursue grant funding for security and chambers

County court officials urged the Dolores County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 2 to reconfigure existing space in the courthouse to provide secure chambers for judges and a front-facing clerk area, citing repeated instances when judges must pass through public areas or use shared restrooms during jury trials.

Judge PL and Judge Kristen Taran described operational and safety risks when judicial officers must move through public hallways during criminal dockets and jury trials, and said current arrangements increase the risk of inadvertent contact between jurors, parties, victims and defendants. Court staff proposed converting the current clerk area into a judge’s chamber with a secure door and moving the clerk’s public counter into a front-facing office; the plan would preserve the courthouse footprint while creating a secure circulation path between courtroom and chamber.

The board discussed two funding routes: a court-security grant that requires an in-person presentation and an underfunded-state program that recently announced about $3 million for the next round (application deadline noted in the meeting as Sept. 30). Commissioners and court staff said a planning-level cost estimate from a local contractor would strengthen an application; the county discussed pursuing planning and construction funding together if cost estimates can be provided.

Commissioners asked staff to coordinate follow-up: reach out to a local contractor for preliminary cost estimates, draft a brief grant narrative for the court-security and underfunded programs, and, if needed, prepare for the required in-person presentation. Officials cautioned that both grant lines can be at risk in tight state budgets and that reimbursements typically require the county to expend funds first and seek reimbursement.

The request, if pursued, is intended to improve courtroom workflow and judge safety without expanding the building footprint. Commissioners did not commit to a construction contract at the Sept. 2 meeting but agreed there was sufficient reason to prepare application materials and to seek price information before choosing a grant path.

The board adjourned after the court presentation; next procedural steps include staff outreach to the contractor and a draft narrative for the grant applications.