Whitley County authorizes judge executive to sign documents for judicial-center parking expansion

The Whitley County Fiscal Court on a unanimous roll-call vote authorized the county judge/executive to sign all documents related to acquiring two parcels adjacent to the judicial center to expand public parking. The court read appraisals into the record for the two tracts — about $204,000 for one parcel and about $200,000 for the other — and discussed a partial purchase structure in which the county would pay approximately $100,000 for part of the property while the remaining interest would be treated as a part sale/part gift.

County leaders told the court the project is intended to ease parking shortages that occur on busy court days and to support future development behind the judicial center. The county judge/executive said the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) has agreed to reimburse the county for construction costs associated with building the parking lot, and that reimbursement would be spread over 20 years. “They will pay us back over a period of 20 years,” the county judge/executive said during discussion.

Officials said the project is a partnership involving the county, the city (mayor Harrison) and the industrial authority, and that appraisals and preliminary terms have been negotiated over several months. The county attorney will review final acquisition documents and the court approved payment of claims related to the purchase subject to the county attorney’s approval.

The court’s authorization allows staff and the judge/executive to complete appraisals, finalize any purchase-and-gift documentation and accept AOC reimbursement terms; the county will return to the court for any required claims payments or additional approvals as documents are finalized.