Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Facilities Space Needs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Judges press for courthouse space fixes; court weighs buying nearby building and launches space‑needs study
Summary
Judges told the court cramped jury rooms, overflowing bathrooms and insufficient offices are impairing operations; commissioners noted $300,000 budgeted for a space‑needs study and discussed acquiring a move‑in‑ready building across the street to relieve short‑term pressure.
Judges who use the county courthouse described persistent space and safety problems Wednesday, urging commissioners to speed solutions while a longer‑term justice center study proceeds. Judge Cahoon and Judge McDaniel both told the court the second‑floor jury room is too small for 12‑person juries, bathrooms have been repeatedly out of service and there is insufficient office space for associate judges and clerks.
“It's at maximum capacity,” Judge McDaniel told the court, asking commissioners to consider interim moves while the county completes a space‑needs analysis. County staff confirmed $300,000 has been set aside for a space‑needs study; the judge and commissioners also discussed a move‑in‑ready building across the street that staff had identified as a possible short‑term solution.
Commissioners asked staff to return with specifics: an RFQ process already authorized for the consultant, an estimated timeline for space‑needs analyses and proposals for which departments could move to offsite space if the court purchased a nearby building. The court also instructed facilities and budget staff to evaluate immediate fixes such as jury‑room furniture replacements and plumbing repairs while the study proceeds.
