Committee recommends remote government campus; county hires consultant to guide next steps

After a year of site visits and facility research the Courthouse, Jail, and Law Enforcement Facility Planning Committee recommended that the county pursue a consolidated government campus outside the tight courthouse block rather than attempting constrained renovation at the historic courthouse. The committee cited long‑term operating costs, security, accessibility and expansion constraints in the century‑old facility as primary drivers of the recommendation.

Recognizing the scale of a campus project the board authorized a limited, step‑one agreement with Tegra Group — an owner‑side consulting firm — to help the committee prepare competitive procurement documents, short‑list architects and construction managers and to design a public outreach and budgeting sequence that can lead to a voter bond question if the committee and Board decide to proceed. County leaders emphasized that no design is final and a public bond vote would be required before major construction proceeds.

Why it matters: the committee’s recommendation resolves a long‑standing dilemma — renovate the courthouse or build a new consolidated facility — and moves the county into a formal procurement and public‑outreach phase. Commission approval of an owner‑side consultant signals a move from study to project development, including budgeting, site selection and a potential bond plan.