Will Platte County be getting another circuit court division soon? Platte County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Fincham appeared before the Platte County Commission last week to say that Circuit Judge Ann Hansbrough has heard through connections in Jefferson City that there is a strong possibility Platte County could receive another circuit court division as early as July.
Fincham and other judges are apparently worried there won’t be room in the courthouse if another division is needed. More on this in a minute, but initial indications are the county commission is well ahead of the judges in planning for this, and also preparing for space for a future treatment court commissioner at the same time.
Fincham said judges support the idea of a new and bigger jail. But wait, there’s more. Fincham last Monday morning said judges not only support the idea of the county buying land somewhere to build a new jail but the judges also want the county to buy enough land with room to build a new courthouse. According to Fincham, “we just need a new facility” and judges are wanting to get out of the iconic and historic courthouse in downtown Platte City.
Lol. Do what now? That’s kind of a grandiose idea to throw out there early on a Monday. Easy, Judge, that’s hard core. Show us a little mercy. On Monday mornings some of us are still wiping the weekend out of our eyes. It was like shock jock radio. Judge Fincham going all Howard Stern on us and whatnot. Next thing you know we’ll learn Fincham listens to AC/DC and dances to Metallica.
I guess if you’re developing a wish list you might as well start big. As a kid that was always my plan while checking out the newest Christmas catalog.
“The current courthouse was built in 1866, the current jail was built in 1998. So the courthouse is 122 years older than the jail and we just need a new facility,” Fincham said. “There’s only so much square footage in the courthouse and there’s only so much space to have people in there.”
But preliminary indications are the county commission might be ahead of the judges on the topics of space and improvements. Which is okay, judges have a lot on their minds doing judge things, probably haven’t had time to keep up with planned ARPA projects at the county.
County commissioners for quite some time now have let it be known the county has about $19 or $20 million in federal COVID aid money from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to spend on projects, including improvement work on the current Platte County Courthouse. And don’t forget some ARPA money will be used to relocate the sheriff to the resource center, move the prosecutor into the space presently occupied by the sheriff’s department and thus free up space in the courthouse for a new circuit division/courtroom and the future treatment court commissioner.
The judges suggest if a new jail is built at a new location the current jail could be retrofitted as a juvenile detention facility and Platte County could rent space to other jurisdictions as a “revenue source” for the county.
The judges also suggest if a new courthouse is built the current courthouse in Platte City could be used as a juvenile court facility.
Apparently a really large one. I’m just reporting the news.
Some of the improvements to the courthouse that the county commission is planning to make with federal ARPA funds are a secured entrance of the courthouse at a cost anywhere between $250,000 to $500,000, and renovating space for a new courtroom and judge’s chambers at an estimated cost of $300,000 to $400,000, according to Joe Vanover, second district commissioner.
“We plan to spend ARPA money to make substantial improvements to the front, secured entrance and to renovate the courthouse to make space for the new circuit judge. I think we will have enough ARPA money to make some less expensive but still needed improvements to the video conference capability within select courtrooms. After we get the bigger projects underway, we will have a better idea of how much money will be left for the less expensive ones, like making the judges’ parking lot more secure,” Vanover said.
Fincham said several of the offices in the courthouse have had situations of birds and bats gaining entry. This is a problem, of course, but it’s not a “we just need a new facility” problem.
If you’re a longtime Between the Lines reader you know maintenance projects have long been lacking in the courthouse. Getting put off and such. It’s one of the first things I remember John Elliott talking about when he took office as second district commissioner back in January of 2017. Commissioners at that time were somewhat amazed that some routine courthouse maintenance items had been allowed to get so far down the line.
Scott Fricker, presiding commissioner, mentioned to Fincham that upcoming ARPA-related improvement projects will address the problems of birds and bats getting into courthouse offices.
So is Platte County really about to get another circuit court division? The first time I heard a judge say this is on the verge of happening was in 2013. It is now 2023. But apparently this time it’s for real. Maybe.
“We were told funding for the new circuit judge is in the (state) budget approved by the legislature. We are waiting to see if it will stay in the budget or if the governor will use his line item veto to remove it. We should have that answer in the next few weeks,” Vanover said this week.
(You can find Foley retrofitting historic courthouses into juvenile centers all across the country. Or email him at ivan@plattecountylandmark.com)