Courts are need in space now and " the Judges want us to light a fire under the State for a new court facility and keep it on this block"

Getting a new courthouse facility and why it hasn't happened is complicated.

CAO Phillip Smith-Hanes in response to my question to Board Chair Estelle Fennell said, 'how long do we have?" I would like to thank County CAO Phillip Smith-Hanes for his candid answers today to my question.

The question was regarding a to resolution before the Board of Supervisors to send a letter that the CAO's office was asking to be sent to the Judicial Council of California to make a commitment of land to build a new courthouse for the Humboldt Superior County Courts.

The Board did approve this resolution, it will now be forwarded to the Humboldt County Superior Court who will send it to the Judicial Council of California. They are the state organization that oversees courts and provide funding.

CAO Hanes said that Supervisors Rex Bohn and Virginia Bass as well as a "couple of Humboldt Superior Court Judges" have been working on additional court space.

"The Judges want us to light a fire under the state for a new court facility and to keep it on this block." The state has only be dragging their feet since 1997 (see letter below)

CAO Hanes said the group is seeking efforts to "secure an economic opportunity and hoping to begin a dialogue with the State." If the State does not chose the location mentioned in the letter below, CAO Hanes said that "we have other plans like a permanent parking" for that location. CAO Hanes said they were hoping to get this facility into the Governor's next funding cycle which is 2016-2017.

County Public Works Director Tom Mattson said that while there was not "fully architectural plans" designed, "there was a full facility design but funding was pulled."

At this point I asked, "So, is my understanding that if we don't get funding from the state, we will not have a new Courthouse facility?"

CA Hanes responded, "We are currently in a situation where Courts have need for additional space right now. The 'good news' and I put good in air quotes is that we have been able to keep the Courts in one location because we have a Judgeship that has not been funded. When that Judgeship is funded, they will need a Court right away. The options would be to find another space in another location or to keep the Civil Courts together and the Criminal Courts together. This would create complications for the County in terms of safety and transportation."

Letter regarding new Courthouse:

Date: December 30, 2014
To: Board of Supervisors
From: Phillip Smith-Hanes, County Administrative Officer
Subject: Resolution Regarding Commitment of Land to Build a New Courthouse for the Superior
Court of California, County of Humboldt
RECOMMENDATION(S):
That the Board of Supervisors approves the attached Resolution and directs staff to forward it to the
Superior Court for transmittal to the Judicial Council of California.
SOURCE OF FUNDING: Not applicable.
DISCUSSION:
For more than 20 years, the county has held title to a vacant lot adjacent to the east side ofthe correctional facility between Fourth and Fifth Streets, accessed off K Street, in the City of Eureka. For most of this period, the lot has served as overflow parking for county and court employees. It is largely unpaved and this creates maintenance issues.
The original intent of acquiring the lot was to site a courthouse on the property. However, in 1997 the
courts transferred to state responsibility. Since that time, the state has not moved forward with construction of a new courthouse in Eureka despite the documented need of the local courts for additional...(read rest on Humboldt County website where agenda is posted)