Glenn Hancock didn’t attend Tuesday night’s Floyd County Council meeting as a judge. He said he was there simply as a taxpayer.
And he had plenty to say about the proposed renovations planned for the fourth floor of the City-County Building.
The Floyd County Commissioners recently awarded a $716,565 bid to Upton Pry Inc., to renovate the fourth floor — to include the construction of a new superior courtroom and relocation of the public defender and drug and alcohol office to the first floor. It also includes moving the county court probation offices to the M.L. Reisz building and turning that area into conference rooms.
That is the part that has Judge Hancock upset.
He said not only will moving his probation offices to the Reisz building hurt the efficiency of his court, he also said building three conference rooms is a waste of space and money.
“I’m speaking up for the taxpayers now,” Hancock said. “Moving probation offices to create three meeting rooms which will not be used makes no sense.”
Hancock said the plans he saw for the fourth floor didn’t have the conference rooms. He said those were added at a special meeting.
“I’m not saying it wouldn’t be nice to have a lawyer area, but we have never had a problem before finding a place to meet with clients,” he said.
Councilwoman Dana Fendley said she was at the meeting where the conference rooms were added. She said other attorneys said having three conference rooms will get people out of the hallway and will allow a much-needed area for attorneys to meet with clients.
Hancock said there are usually two to three jury rooms sitting empty that could serve as meeting areas. He also said there will always be lawyers and clients in the hallway discussing cases because that is the nature of the business.
“On Wednesday, we will see 85 to 100 people. We would have to have 90 meeting rooms to solve this problem,” he said. “It’s a terrible waste of money and will make the court less functional by moving probation officers out of the building.”
Hancock also said it’s a waste of gas and money for his probation officers to travel back and forth from the Reisz building to the City-County Building.
“They are in court a lot,” he said.
Council President Larry McAllister asked Hancock to draft a letter discussing his concerns and said he would personally present it to the commissioners at the board’s Aug. 19 meeting.
Work will begin soon on the fourth floor since the new superior court has to be completed by Jan. 1.
• Tuesday’s meeting was the first for Ted Heavrin after winning a Democratic Party caucus last week. Heavrin will finish out Randy Stumler’s term, which expires at the end of the year. He is also an at-large candidate for council on the November ballot.
Floyd County
Floyd County judge upset with renovation plans
- Floyd County
-
-
Checkered past: Cab company’s permit suspended in New Albany after employee arrests
“We’re not an evil company,” White said after the meeting.
-
Utility vows to bring projects to council
Stormwater officials shared letters with the council from residents in the Castlewood neighborhood who credited the basin addition for easing flooding in the area.
- News and Tribune briefs for Feb. 8, 2012
-
Just doing their jobs, well: Fairmont Elementary School gets recognition, $25,000 award
-
House panel leader leery of creationism bill
Supporters in the Senate, which approved the bill last week in a 28-22 vote, say the broader religious reference improves the bill’s chances of being ruled constitutional.
-
Statehouse action resumes after Super Bowl break
Daniels wants legislators to concede to some more of his wish-list items as they head toward their mandatory March 14 deadline for the session’s end.
-
Work on Pine View under way
He also said work was “significantly” moving forward. He expects the building to be completed by mid-June. The county approved $1.2 million for renovation work for Pine View, which will also be used for some county offices.
-
Prosser hosts heated competition
-
Georgetown spelunker died of self-inflicted gunshot wound
Crawford County Coroner Chris Brown said he agreed with the pathologist’s finding that Eve died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to a statement released Tuesday morning by the Department of Natural Resources.
-
Greenville town manager hired, incensing silenced crowd
Richardson threatened to have the town marshal clear the gym, but decided against it.
“I am asking people out there to stay out of it. This has nothing to do with you. You elected us to represent you.”
But that only go the crowd more incensed.
“You ought to be run out of town Talbotte,” yelled one resident. - More Floyd County Headlines
-
Checkered past: Cab company’s permit suspended in New Albany after employee arrests
