Minutes - 19750613 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

Mrs. Dunn stated that the space now being provided by the County to the Court System was totally inadequate and she presented a list of priorit~.es from the Bar Association. These priorities were to fix up the Judges' Chamber with carpet, drapes, and proper furniture; to provide a lounge and work space for lawyers; to provide adequate book cases and copies of the General Statutes; to provide interview rooms for parties and witnesses; to carpet the area in front of the Bar; to secure a proper P.A. System or to re-arrange the current speaker system; to paint the Courtroom; to place drapes on the windows and to provide comfortable Courtroom furniture for the Judge and the Jury. Mrs. Dunn then reviewed the method in which she felt some additional space could be secured. She further recommended that an additional telephone line to Chapel Hi11 be made available for lawyers and that proper inventory of the General Statutes should-be maintained. Mr. Longs statements concurred with all pf the recommendations presented by Mrs. Dunn. He stated that there was need for a Splicitor's office and the microphone situa- tion was intolerable, the Jury rooms were uncomfortable and that no privacy was afforded because in the Judges' chamber and the Jury rooms, the doors were a mess. Discussion ensued. Commissioner i+lhitted suggested that the County P4anager see what a P.A. System would cost, to investigate the cost of carpet and drapes and new furniture for the Judges' chamber. Mary Scrpggs, Chairman of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro School Unit; Dr. Charles Rivers, Assistant Superintendent of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro School System; George Williams, Superintendent of the Orange County School Unit; and H. G. Coleman, Jr., member of the Orange County School Board, were present. Chairman Garrett stated that she had filed with each Board momber a Memorandum that contained items which she felt must receive consideration in this year's Budget. She stated that she guessed it could be considered as her "think list." Chairman Garrett stated, "One area for major capital need, and I have listed the Jail, the Library, and an office building. Some you know are really considerable. The office building in Chapel Hill and Hillsborough, the garage and Animal Pound building, as 1 have, we have in the Budget. We have money in the Budget for the garage and the Animal Pound building. The other things that we have, that we put money in for last year is some money for a Jail, some money for a Library and some for an Office Building. I put School System's needs in because of the Cultural Arts Building, the band room, and the proposed school in Efland. Discussion ensued between representatives of the School System, the County Manager, Fiscal Officer, and members of the Board relative to ways and means of financing facilities and/or renovating current facilities. Commissioner Gustaveson stated that he felt the Board should obtain a detailed outline of what a study would involve, such as engineering and architectural studies of the Grady Brown School, the Library and the Jail, the operational and renovation costs of these facilities, and ask the Sheriff to initiate some serious planning towards a new Jail, secure the study that has been done from the Library Board and request to the School System to do a thorough Capital Outlay study that would project a ten (10) year need, secure a thumb-nail sketch of the current Courthouse and the proposed Chapel Hill office needs, and do a space study of the Court needs and that these needs should be coupled so that they interact with each Agency need and that a time period for completion of all the proposed studies should be established for a four (4) month period. Discussion ensued. Commissioner Gustaveson then suggested that all questions involving a Bond Issue should be thoroughly answered and that the Board should set up a working committee comprised of representatives from the two (2) School Units, the Sheriff's Department, various other County Agencies and the Library. Further discussion ensued. Chairman Garrett inquired if Commissioner Gustaveson would make his suggestions in the form pf a motion. He moved that his suggestions be incorporated into a motion. Commissioner Whitted inquired if Commissioner Gustaveson would agree to amend his mvti.on to include that the study of the facility needs could possibly include suggested ways of financing other than a Band Issue. Commissioner Gustaveson agreed to amend his motion and he re-stated his motion. - Commissioner Gustaveson amended his motion to state that a working committee be appointed to form detailed plans for the Jail, the Library, and the Grady Brown School, and that this committee formulate possible ways of financing the expected cost of these projects and that all groups that would be involved with any major Capital Outlay pro- jects should project the facilities needs on at least a ten (10) year basis.