Plans would move county judicial offices to third floor of courthouse

Blaine County's judicial-related offices could soon move to the third floor of the county courthouse. Commissioners said plans for the proposed remodel will be let for bid on April 20. Selection of a contractor should happen shortly after the bidding process is completed and work could begin. Commissioners think once the work begins the remodel could be completed before the end of the year, the affected offices would then move to the new space.

Planning for moves began in

2008-2009

Commissioners said the initial planning to create a more efficient grouping of the court-related offices began in earnest during 2008-2009. Durward Sobek, a Billings-based architect who owns and manages "Space Planning for People," worked with commissioners and department heads to formulate a plan to group the judicial offices all on one floor. Some of the affected offices are on other floors of the courthouse or housed in the Courthouse Annex, east of the courthouse.

Over time, with new federal regulations about privacy of health and personal information, commissioners had to consider ways to separate the clients at the Public Health Department, the Human Resources office and the County Attorney's offices. Those county offices share common space and a reception area in the Annex. Then a number of violent incidents nationwide at courthouses caused the commissioners to add safety concerns to the planned moves.

In 2014 the Superintendent of Schools office was moved to its present location on the second floor of the courthouse, creating space on the third floor. When law research materials became available on the internet, the two rooms housing the law library were cleared for future use. A large storage room, on the southwest corner of the third floor, was basically undeveloped but had potential for an office complex.

The plan for the third floor

judicial complex

The scope of the work going out for bid involves some modifications to existing offices and the addition of new offices and work spaces in the undeveloped storage area. The old law library and storage area will be remodeled to house the County Attorney's office, the Judicial Court courtroom and the Human Resources office. Security modifications will be made to the District Court Clerk's reception window and a new holding room for prisoners will be added adjacent to the District Court courtroom.

Both the County Attorney's offices and Human Resources are currently located in the Annex, separate from the courthouse. Human Resources will relocate to one of two rooms in what was once the law library, the second room in the library will be a meeting room. Human Resources will be accessed through a door at the south end of the lobby on the third floor.

The same door, off the third floor lobby, will provide access to the County Attorney's offices and a new courtroom for the Justice Court. From the lobby door clients will come to a reception location that will monitor access to both Human Resources and the County Attorney's staff. The Justice Court courtroom will have public access through the door off the lobby. For security reasons, the receptionist's area for the County Attorney's staff and Human Resources will be protected with security glass.

The southernmost part of the existing storage room will have offices for the County Attorney, Deputy County Attorney and a meeting room adjacent to the reception area. A courtroom for the Justice Court will also be constructed in the large storage space. The attorneys' offices and the new courtroom will have a common public entrance off the third floor lobby.

The Justice Court courtroom will also be accessible internally to employees from the attorney's offices and the judge's chambers. The existing Justice Court courtroom is presently on the lower level of the courthouse. The Justice Court sometimes moves to the District Court to have adequate space for some court sessions. Having access to either courtroom, on the same floor, will be more efficient for staff and clients.

The Superintendent of School's former office will be used for the Judge of the Justice Court, the Compliance Officer and the District Court Clerk. A reception area there will face into the third floor lobby. That reception area will also have security glass above the counter.

On the east side of the third floor lobby a security glass will be installed at the reception counter to the District Court Clerk's office. The District Court Clerk's office will remain the same, except for the added security measure.

Adjacent to the District Court courtroom, basically at the north end of the third floor, a new holding area will be created from part of an existing vault storage room. Prisoners being brought to the District Court, for trial, will be taken to the holding cell via the elevator. The new holding cell will provide internal access to the courtroom rather than moving prisoners through the main entrance to the courtroom-often where families and spectators are waiting to go into a court proceeding. This provides an increased level of security for court personnel and court spectators by separating prisoners from the public.

Commissioners should know on April 20, or very soon after, if there is a successful bid. The commission budgeted $500,000 to complete the work. The funds are part of a Building Improvement account that is used to support these types of projects. If the bid comes out above the budgeted amount, commissioners say they will "have to reevaluate the scope of the project."

Commissioner Dolores Plumage said, "There are additional plans to improve security for our county employees and those doing business at the courthouse. Our challenge, as a commission, is to find the right balance between public access and security. Commissioners want to make the courthouse welcoming without compromising security concerns for employees and visitors. The courthouse belongs to the people and we want to make it as safe, efficient and accessible as practical."