LAKE COUNTY — The state”s Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) announced Monday that the new Lakeport courthouse could be among the projects postponed because of budget reductions.
The Court Facilities Working Group has recommended to the Judicial Council of California a plan to have many eligible projects proceed to the last architectural design phase, but some, including the one in Lake County, “may be delayed a few months,” the AOC said in a statement.
Group members suggest “minimal delay into working drawings” for the Lakeport project. A subcommittee of the working group will also analyze all projects for cost-saving opportunities.
“It doesn”t cause me too much concern to delay the drawings a few months,” District 4 Supervisor Anthony Farrington said.
The vagueness of the suggested wait does create some apprehension for Farrington, who said, “I”m puzzled what a few months means. Usually when we”re talking government delays, we”re talking in years, not months.”
Next year”s budget cycle will be the “critical time as to whether the project will be funded or not,” according to Farrington.
The AOC, however, is still grappling with this year”s funding reductions for its court facilities program.
The working group, which is comprised of judges, lawyers and government officials from throughout the state, met last week to come up with suggestions because “more than $500 million in facility funding was swept to the General Fund, borrowed, or redirected for court operations this year,” the AOC said.
The Lake County project is currently in the design phase for a proposed single-story courthouse of approximately 50,000 square feet with four courtrooms at 675 Lakeport Boulevard.
Construction on the new facility had been set to start in spring 2013, with a late-2014 completion date. Project costs are estimated at nearly $56 million.
In written comments submitted in September, Lake County Superior Court Judge David W. Herrick and executive officer Mary E. Smith urged the working group to move the Lakeport project forward.
“As a small underfunded court with an annual budget of approximately $4 million, we are unable to save enough money for the recommended reserves much less save enough money to complete this project on our own,” Herrick and Smith wrote.
The Lake County representatives also described deficiencies at the existing courthouse on North Forbes Street, saying, “Without (Senate Bill) 1407 funds, the court will remain in the current dilapidated and unsafe building.”
The working group will meet again before finalizing project prioritization recommendations to the council, which could accept, reject or modify any suggestions.
Other recommendations include eliminating proposed projects in Alpine and Sierra counties, allowing most projects scheduled to acquire land to complete the process and asking the council to work with the legislature to replenish courthouse maintenance funding.
The Judicial Council is expected to consider the recommendations during its Dec. 13 meeting.
Contact Jeremy Walsh at jwalsh@record-bee.com or call him at 263-5636, ext. 37.
