Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 199311041 APPROVED 1/18/9 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS SPECIAL MEETING THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1993 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met in Special Session on Thursday, November 4, 1993 at 12:00 noon to discuss court facilities. COUNTY COMMI88IONERB PRESENT: Chair Moses Carey, Jr., and Commissioners Alice M. Gordon, Stephen H. Halkiotis, Verla C. Insko and Don Willhoit. COUNTY ATTORNEY PRESENT: Geoffrey Gledhill COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager John M. Link, Jr., Assistant County Manager Rod Visser, Clerk to the Board Beverly A. Blythe, Finance Director Ken Chavious, Purchasing Director Pam Jones, Budget Director Sally Kost, Public Works Director Wilbert McAdoo, Sheriff Lindy Pendergrass and EMS Director Nick Waters. COURT FACILITIES STUDY GROIIP MEMBERS PRESENT: Judge Gordon Battle, Clerk of Court Shirley James, Judge Patricia Love, Investigator Cheryl S. Parker, and Assistant District Attorney Nancy A. Vecchia AGENDA 1. ISSIIEB WHICH REQUIRE IMMEDIATE ATTENTION ~ COURTROOM OVERCROWDING 1. ASSUMING A THIRD FLOOR COURTROOM CAN BE DEVELOPED WITHIN THE NE%T 8I8-EIGHT MONTHS. WSAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALLEVIATING THE CRISIS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE INTERIM? 2. WHAT ROLE CAN/SHOULD THE COUNTY PLAY IN ASSISTING COURT OFFICIALS TO ACHIEVE A SOLIITION FOR OVERCROWDING? Chair Carey stated that this meeting is being held to share information and to discuss solutions to alleviating the overcrowding problems in the courtrooms. Introductions were made. Pam Jones talked about the plan they initiated last November and noted that they are on schedule. With regard to the new courthouse, the architect has pointed out some problems including an exterior exit. The obstacles they have identified will make it a better facility. A courtroom will be located on the third floor of the new courthouse. The district court judges will have their offices on the third floor and the County Commissioners will use the courtroom facility for their meetings. Renovations will take six to eight months. She would like to have input as this process continues. She wants to be sure that the needs of everyone are met. In answer to a question from Judge Battle, Pam Jones indicated that the courtroom will seat 125 to 150 people. In answer to a question as to whether or not the new courtroom would be adequate for criminal court, Judge Love indicated that it is hard to say. 2 They may have more traffic cases but there are lots of possibilities. The Highway Patrol has changed their schedule which has put a burden on the courts. Judge Love stated that she will talk with the Highway Patrol to see if they can again schedule traffic court twice a month instead of once. Judge Love stated that they may have to go back to two dockets - one in the morning and one in the afternoon. They don't have any control over that system. Nancy Vecchia stated that what may be more efficient is to go to a 9:00 and 11:00 o'clock docket. Judge Love would have the authority to dictate this and she indicated she would have no problem with that time. It could not start until January because they need to work with law enforcement in making the change. The court days are set by the time and date on the ticket and the magistrate also schedules people. Judge Love indicated they have changed the docket to even out the load and noted they are only talking about District Court. Moses Carey stated that the problem which needs to be solved immediately is for the next six months before the renovation is complete. After the renovation there will be time to do some long range planning. In answer to a question from Commissioner Halkiotis, Judge Love stated that there are two Highway Patrol Officers that patrol Orange County highways. She will talk with them about going back to two days. She feels that they will cooperate. In response to a suggestion from Commissioner Willhoit about using other facilities as a courtroom, Nancy Vecchia stated that they really need a courtroom setting because there is more respect. Also, there is the problem of moving equipment and people. In answer to a question from Commissioner Halkiotis about night court, Judge Love stated that the problem is in setting up another shift with personnel. John Link stated that the immediate problem is that only 82 people are allowed in the courtroom at one time. They have had to wait for another court and move them to Superior Courtroom. They have been moving people over to the Old Courthouse. The Historic Commission has set the number of people at 100 in the Old Courthouse. Geoffrey Gledhill clarified that the deed specifies that no more than 100 people can be in the courtroom at any one time. In response to a suggestion from Commissioner Gordon on using a P.A. system in another area of the building, Judge Love explained that the names of everyone who is suppose to be there is called and these people are separated into three groups -- guilty, not guilty and held open. They then take the people who have pleaded guilty first because these usually go faster. Lindy Pendergrass noted that he has seen several overcrowded courtrooms solve this problem by putting a sign outside which indicates that those who 3 want to plead guilty to enter the courtroom between 8:30 and 9:30 or some specific time. This would save the time of calling these names from the docket. Patricia Love stated that in Alamance County they have a day where everyone with a traffic ticket can come in anytime during a specified day but that the ALC has asked that this not be done. She noted that one of the biggest problems is that a persons' driving record determines the insurance a person pays and it must be done right and people do have the right to appeal. Commissioner Insko stated that having those who want to plead guilty come in between a certain time may be a good idea and worth trying. Patricia Love stated that they have talked about not calling the docket but with the computer age they enter a 20-day failure the same day the person doesn't appear. In answer to a question from Commissioner Willhoit about the short range alternatives, Judge Love stated that Judge Battle has agreed to let them use the Superior Courtroom for one day a week for the next six months. On Wednesday, Judge Battle will hear the cases unless there is a murder trial or another extended trial. Moses Carey stated that these ideas are good and need further discussion. He asked Pam Jones and John Link to convene a small group to decide on a plan of action. Judge Battle stated that Superior Court is set every week with Civil Court set in the Old Courthouse. The problem is that there are cases that last two or three weeks with two courts going on at one time. John Link stated that the third floor is now being used for several courts, administrative law offices, etc. Judge Battle stated that even if Superior Courtroom is used on Wednesday, he could start at 10:30 which would allow most of the district cases to be heard between 9:00 and 10:30. Judge Love emphasized that the downstairs courtroom should go back to being a storage room. It is not well ventilated and dangerous. Commissioner Insko stated that one thing the County can do is to provide staff support to help with planning, etc. II. SHORT TERM I88QE8 A. PROJECTION OF NEED FOR NE%T FIVE YEARS B. POTENTIAL FOR DEVELOPMENT AT E%IBTING SITE Nancy A. Vecchia gave some figures on how the cases have increased. They have doubled in the last ten years and they expect that trend to continue. 4 Judge Battle indicated that the County will probably get within the next five years another criminal court judge, trial court administrator, jury assembly room and jury clerk. Lindy Pendergrass indicated he would need an additional 35 officers to handle this increase in workload. John Link stated that renovating the third floor will probably only meet the needs for two or three years. What they are talking about is building an annex. He feel that there is a need to test what is possible for that site. Longer term, they need to talk about what can be done within the next ten to 20 years. Commissioner Halkiotis talked about Johnston County and the modern facility which has streamlined the process of a person being transported from jail to the courtroom and back again. He feels it would be beneficial to look at other locations outside of the town of Hillsborough. Chair Carey agreed that the County needs to have the courts located in one place possibly outside of Hillsborough. III. LONG TERM ISSIIES A. PROJECTION OF NEED FOR NEST 20 YEARS B. LOCATION OF FIITIIRE E%PANSION 1. ON EBIBTING BITE 2. BIIILT SEPARATELY AT ALTERNATE LOCATION a. Close ~rogimity to Hillsborough b. Geographically able to effectively serve both Hillsborough and Chanel Hill from a single facility C. FIINCTIONB AT FIITIIRB SITE 1. COIIRT ONLY 2. COII1tT AND LAW ENFORCEMENT (SHERIFF) 3. COIIRT, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND JAIL Judge Love feels it would be good to move courts out of town so that adequate parking is available. In response to a comment from Pam Jones about the size of the courtrooms, Judge Love stated that the LOC can help with courtroom facility planning. Judge Battle suggested that two or three representatives from the Orange County Bar be added to the Facilities Committee. Pam Jones stated that one option would be to add another floor inside the existing building and another option would be to expand to the south. Commissioner Willhoit asked about the number of square feet on the third floor. He suggested comparing the net cost per square foot of adding the exit, adding a floor, etc. with the cost per square foot of constructing a free standing building. He suggested that it might be more cost effective to build new space. Judge Battle stated that the annex in Alamance County cost five million dollars. 5 IV. POTENTIAL FIINDINQ 8OIIRCEB A. BOND I88IIE H. GRANTS AVAIL_~-~LE FOR COORT FACILITIES C. FEDERAL MARSHAL FIINDS (IF JAIL SERVICE IS BOILT) John Link stated that the architect has been hired and he will keep this group informed about the renovations on the third floor. Also, they will explore the possibilities for expanding the present courthouse. This study committee can help them look at the CIP process. A three to four million dollar annex is possible if it is built in 1997 or 1998. The meeting was adjourned at 1:30 p.m. Moses Carey, Jr., Chair Beverly A. Blythe, Clerk