Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-01-10 05-60 RESOLVEItem No. 05-60 Dace: 1-10-05 Item/Subject: Resolve, Calling Upon the State a Maine Judicial Bench to Work With the City a Bangor and Penobscot County in an Effort to Ste the Proposed State Court Expansion Project AEjacent to the Penobscot County Courtlmuse or, Should that Not be Feasible, In Downtown Sanger. Responsible Department: CM Council For some June, the State Court System has bean investigating Prow best m meet their space and operational needs in Penobscot County. The City and the County have been working with Me Court System on this project, and have jointly funded a City/County campus plan that initially recommended an expansion and renovations to the Penobsw[ County Courthouse fprthis purpose. The Court System has recently undertaken a feasibility study for this project, a study which apparently has concluded Nat expansion and renovation would be more expensive than new construction and would not meet the operational needs of the Court system. As a result, the Court System is Inviting lepers of interest from property owners who may have an interest in identifying properties that would meet the Court's need. As this project has moved forward, however, some conditions have changed. In pamculag the City is in the process of relocating its Police Department from the current City/County campus W another downtown location, potentially freeing up space for new construction. The attached Resolve will state the City's position that eery passible altemative W locate the Court System on the anent County campus be explored prior to considering any other she. Further, if other sites are considered, those saes should be in downtown Bangor. This Resolve has also been shared with the Penobscot County Commissioners, who approved it at their meeting of December 28, 2004. Department Need Managers Comments: Recommend approval. Q .a Qa / ���/ City Manager Finance Director X Passage _ First Reaming Page _ of Referral gyp'Resigned co Councilor Ccatvtck January 10, zgos a czxs mourn �. enmq lo. zany PInrUC6e" Copy, AtteaCITY OF BANGOR Cin CI.nUBH OTIIE.) Resolve, Celgng Upon the Stale of Maine Judicial Branch M Work With the City of Bangor and Penobxat County in an Effort to Site the Roposed State Court Expansion project Adjacent to the Penobscot County Courthouse or, Should that not be Feasible, in Downtown Bangor. WHEREAS, there Is wide and long standing recognition that the Current spam available for operations of the State Court System in Bangor Is inadequate and additional space Is needed; and WHEREAS, over the part several years, the City of Bangor and Penobscot County have been in discussions with the State Judicial Branch regarding its space needs and potential options for meeting those needs; and WHEREAS, as a part of this Short, the City and County jointly funded the developmerrt of a master plan far the C5ty/County campus, located on Hammond and Court Street In downtown Bangor; and WHEREAS, the conwhant's mMft on that effort called for an expansion of and renovations to the existing County Courthouse and the mnstrutlbn of a multi-user parting deck as one option to address this need; and WHEREAS, since the completion of that report, the Qty of Bangor has made the decision to relocate our Police headquarters from the building, potentially freeing additional space for County and Court purposes; and WHEREAS, a feasibility study commissioned by the State Judicial Branch has apparently recommended that the option of renovating and expanding the County Courthouse no longer he considered due to higher estimated costs and operational efficiency considerations; and WHEREiS, relocation of court operations from the County complex, which also houses the County jail, are likely to increase operating casts associated with primmer transportation and sewdty and result in considerable underutilized spam in existing county buildings, spam which must Still he operated and maintained at taxpayer expense; and WHEREAS, the first priority of Me City and the County is to continue to explore the feasibility of meeting the needs of the judidal system on the existing campus especially given the Scheduled relocation of the Bangor Police Department and WHEREAS, a decision on the final location of the State Court System in Bangor must be based not only on art related M mpital construgbn, but on long-tame operating costs, not only of the Court system but of the County as well; and WHEREAS, Me cityand County also believe that the judidal system must remain in downtown Bangor in close prwdmity to other related legal and governmental services; and WHEREAS, locating the court system on the County campus i at l minimum, in Ba rmne doxnbwn is in accordanceas a the policies s the Space of Maine M brace state govemmeM oiec� in 0ovmtorvn meas and to promote responsible tlevebpmeM; and WHEREAS, the Penobscot County Commissloners have approved this Resolve at their meeting of December 28, 2009. NOW, THEREFORE, BE R RESOLVED BY THE Cltt COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BANGOR THAT The City aF Bangor and Reminisce County hereby call upon the State Judicial Branch to explore every possible alternative that would allow for the Court System to meat Its space and operational needs on the current City/County campus located at Hammond and Court Streets in downtown Bangor. We urge the Judicial &anon to work closely with the City and County in the evaluation of alternatives that would accomplish the goal of meeting its needs on this campus. Only after all alternatives involving the Cry/Canty campus have beer) fully explored and found to ne impractical should the Judicial System Investigate other potential sites. Water, should B be necessary ce explore other sites, we urge the Carat System M select a site in downtown Bangor. A dpunowm location will minimIn additional pdsmer transportation costs to be paid by the County, leave the Court In close proximity to the vast majority of the legal cmnmunity, that is centered In downtown Bangor, and further City and State policies BE 9 FURTHER RESOLVED THAT copies of this resolve be provided to the Chief Justice of the Maine Judicial Court, the Maine State Court Administrator, Govenwr John E. Baldacd, the members of the Bangor State Legislative Delegation, the Chairs of the Legislative Commitee wiM jursdkEon over court con0wodoo/expanslon programs, and Me Speaker of the State House of Representatives and the Prudent of the State Senate. IN CITY COONCIL Jaaugcy 10; 2005 Notlau.1fade-aM-Seconded - for Psga ge p 71 Z 4.'. # 05-60 (tl'l.E) Callins Poon tee State of Maine Judicial Branch to Work with the City of Sooner and Penobscot Comoro In am Effort to Side the Proposed State Court Expansion Project Adjacent to the- Penobscot Canty CmRhouie or, Sbould that Not be Feasible, in Downtown Sanger .- l