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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 09-25-2008 COURT FACILITIES SPACE NEEDS COMMITTEE Minutes of Meeting September 25, 2008 Convened: Adjourned: 3 2:14 p.m.:10 p.m. CALL TO ORDER Commissioner Craft called the meeting to order at 2:14 p.m. in Conference Room # 3, 2300 Virginia Avenue, Fort Pierce, Florida. ROLL CALL Roll call was taken. Members Present: Commissioner Chris Craft Mark Godwin, SLC Criminal Justice Coordinator Councilwoman Michelle Berger, Port St. Lucie Tom Genung, Court Administrator Edwin Fry, Clerk of the Courts Roger Shinn, SLC Central Services Director Doug Hardie for Sheriff Ken Mascara Members Absent: Mayor Bob Benton, Fort Pierce Bruce Colton, State Attorney Diamond Litty, Public Defender Chief Judge Roby Others Present: Lisa Savage, SLC Pretrial Department APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES: The minutes from the July 24, 2008 meeting were unanimously approved. OLD BUSINESS: Roger Shinn gave an update from the last meeting and said they were on track with renovations. They are backed up until March. Within a months time their hopes are that Phase IA will be going out to bid which will be the renovations of the Courthouse Annex. Tom Genung asked Roger what does the construction to be completed by March entail. Court Facilities Space Needs Committee September25, 2008 Page 2 Roger said the first two levels of the old clerk of court building which is the basement and the first floor. It will be a new jury selection room, sheriff’s civil, law library and holding cell area in the basement. We have done some demolition in SLW. Added a courtroom and we can move some of the family courts down th4ere and we hope to have that completed by the end of this year. Phase IA completion date will be December 2009 to January/February 2010. Mark Godwin asked Roger in his plans of Phase IA is it to include a way to bring in more jurors at one time, have the flow come in one way. Roger said he spoke to a structural engineer and to add a door off of Second Street would probably cost between $80,000 to $100,000 dollars. This is a ball park figure. Commissioner Craft said what we are wanting to accomplish is to have two sets of magnetometer at the front entrance. The secondary entrance would be for more than likely the state attorneys and they have a card. The exit on the west end would primarily be an exit not an entrance. Tom Genung says it creates a nightmare for Doug and his team. The come in an area that is not secure and one thing you have to make sure is they are the only ones who come through the area that is not secured. The only way to ensure that is to have some body there making sure that they are the only ones. Where you have the entrance and exit at the same place is taking care of both issues right now. Ed Fry said security and Wackenhut are doing a great job in getting the people through as quickly as possible. Commissioner Craft asked what kind of a contract doe we have with Wackenhut and can they come in and just work for a few hours or do we have to commit to a certain time. Doug Hardie said they are a sub for them and they can do an hourly deal. NEW BUSINESS: Roger Shinn said there has been some talk about courtroom over at Rock Road. Mark Godwin said he had met with architects concerning that. Met with Chief Judge Roby and Tom Genung at the request of Doug Anderson, because there is a proposed budget that is being put together by the architect to increase the medical wing of the jail from 23 to 40 beds available. Yes, there is a courtroom at the jail. The courtroom is a video teleconference courtroom but its not an actual courtroom where a judge could set up shop. I thought that while they are out there doing construction maybe we could take a look at a feasibility study to do that. The space is not big enough to have the public. Mark said because New Horizons has lost a significantly amount of money this past budget year and one of the programs that was cut back was the Substance Abuse Counselors for the indigence which is dramatic. One of the things I looked at was our drug lab budget and what I would like to Court Facilities Space Needs Committee September 25, 2008 Page 3 do is make a proposal before the Board is to bring on staff, a substance abuse counselor that would not cost any taxpayer dollars. This person could be located with our other staff at the courthouse. This would be funded as a result from the revenue generated from the drug lab. People that can afford will pay a nominal fee. Ed Fry said the additional courtrooms being constructed at SLW with the idea of moving all the family courts there, will there be any additional space there that could possibly be used for family group, injunction group, family violence and child support. ADJOURNMENT: Commissioner Craft adjourned the meeting at 3:10 p.m. Submitted by, Carol Strobert THE NEXT MEETING WILL BE November 21, 2008