Montezuma County has been awarded a $2 million grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs to help consolidate its court systems.
The county is the last in the state to have separate county and district court buildings.
"That need, their readiness, and their substantial match contributed to a successful application," said Ken Charles, a DOLA manager.
The county contributed $2.6 million as a match for the grant, which was awarded Dec. 10.
A justice system scattered throughout Cortez has been inconvenient for the public and a challenge for court staff.
The District Attorney's office is not located at either court house, and the county jail and sheriff department are separated from probation offices.
For the past several years, the county has been preparing for a centralized court system that houses county and district courtrooms, legal staff, judges chambers, probation, and the DA's office.
Total square footage of the existing court rooms and probation at the district and county courthouses is 15,200 feet. Colorado court guidelines show that based on population, growth potential, and space needs Montezuma county requires 36,288 square feet of county and district court space.
Officials at first envisioned remodeling the East Tower of the county building to combine the courts.
In 2012 the county purchased the First National Bank building on Main Street and relocated the assessor, treasurer, and county clerks offices there.
That freed up room to for relocating county court and probation offices, currently on Mildred Street, to the Main St. county building where the 22nd Judicial District court is located.
But after review of costs, estimated to be more than $4 million, the move was seen as a quick fix that would outgrow itself and be inadequate based on state standards. Under current trending, DOLA estimates that the population of the county could increase from 25,532 people to 40,000.
"You have simply outgrown both buildings and there is no viable option for expansion at the present location," said Tom Franklin, a planner with the Colorado court administration.
Now the county is considering investing in a new combined courthouse to be located on county-owned property adjacent to the sheriff's office and jail on the corner of Empire and Mildred streets.
"A new justice center with a lifespan of 50 years is more economical," said regional court administrator Eric Hogue.
The county has issued a request for qualifications for architectural services for a combined court facility on seven acres adjacent to the jail location.
According to the RFQ, the ideal combined court would include two district courtrooms, two county court divisions, jury rooms, magistrate courtroom, first appearance center, legal offices, administration suite, combined court clerk's office, file storage, file viewing room, secure holding cells, mediation office, plus more.
An estimate earlier this year for a new justice center came in at between $10 million and $12 million. The project could be financed over time internally through the county and court budgets, or through a voter-approved bond.
Advantages of the new location include convenient access to the sheriff's department and jail, space to build, adjacent to civic infrastructure, and away from the traffic congestion of Main Street.
"A new justice center does not have to be the Taj Mahal," said Chief District Court Judge Doug Walker. "Determining what the county can afford and then going to an architect to make it work is a long-term solution worth considering. Refurbishing this building, you will spend as much as a new facility."
The grant funding awarded by DOLA is derived from severance taxes collected from oil, gas, carbon dioxide, coal, and metals extracted in Colorado.
To view the RFQ go to http://bit.ly/1vGUfo9
