LOS JUECES PREFERIERON NUEVAS INSTALACIONES
La Comisión del Condado de Platte aprobó un plan para renovaciones específicas del Palacio de Justicia del Condado de Platte.
La aprobación se produjo en una reunión de la comisión el 4 de marzo.
Some of the judges working inside the courthouse have challenged the proposal to renovate the courthouse in recent months. The plan approved by the commission sets out select improvements to be made in the building. It also directs the county’s architect to prepare plans for potential extra improvements if funding allows work beyond the base plan.
“I am committed to keeping the Platte County Courthouse adequate for the courts for decades to come,” said Joe Vanover, district two county commissioner, who is a practicing attorney. “The building is structurally sound and is large enough to house our new judge and another one or two judges in the future.”
Las mejoras al palacio de justicia se financiarán con dinero federal recibido a través de la Ley del Plan de Rescate Estadounidense que se adoptó en los primeros días de la pandemia de COVID-19. Poco después de que el Congreso aprobara la financiación en marzo de 2020, Vanover fundó y dirigió un grupo que inició el proceso de encontrar formas de gastar el dinero para hacer que los edificios y operaciones gubernamentales del condado se adaptaran mejor a los métodos comerciales modernos.
Vanover añadió que las renovaciones del palacio de justicia podrían costar entre $2 millones y $3 millones.
“We will have to wait and see just how much we can spend on the courthouse,” Vanover said. The actual cost of the work will not be known until later this year, he said.
The base plan of improvements includes: constructing a sixth courtroom that could be used for jury trials on the second floor, upgrading a bathroom used by juries to make it ADA accessible, removing an unused jury box from the Division 3 courtroom, expanding the Division 4 courtroom to include a small room that was intended as a jury deliberation room during the renovation to the courthouse in the late 1970’s, substantial improvements to the front lobby to make it more secure and easier for people to enter the building, and moving certain court clerks and staff to the third floor.
The third floor of the courthouse will be vacated soon when members of the prosecuting attorney’s office move to another location.
The commission directed the county architect to draw construction plans for additional work that may be approved at a later date. The potential additional work includes: expansion of the Division 2 courtroom which has been used for jury trials since the late 1970’s, moving more staff offices to the third floor, creating additional conference rooms and another security office on the second floor.
“Building an entirely new courthouse would cost a tremendous amount of money. There is no need for us to move out of the current courthouse,” commented Vanover.
El ex juez presidente Thomas Fincham y el actual juez presidente W. Ann Hansbrough han argumentado que se debería construir un nuevo palacio de justicia en las afueras del centro de Platte City.
Vanover added, “We have enough space to expand within the courthouse. However our jail is out of space. The jail situation is a much higher priority need that must be addressed very soon.”
Se espera una votación pública para aprobar bonos para construir una ampliación de la cárcel en agosto o noviembre de este año.
“We listened to the judges over the last several months, and we did not always agree,” Vanover said. “We cannot give them everything they want, but this plan will serve the people of Platte County for years to come.”
Vanover ha sido abogado en el condado de Platte durante 25 años. Fue elegido comisionado del condado en 2020 y trabaja a tiempo parcial en ambos roles. Dijo que planea seguir utilizando el juzgado como abogado durante otros 25 años.