The future of the Pulaski County Courthouse will be discussed during a special joint county council and commissioners meeting tonight. The meeting notice says officials will discuss options to address needed repairs to the courthouse, potential renovations to the existing buildings, the relocation of county offices, and the various plans to address the concerns with the courthouse.
Last December, county officials unveiled a preliminary plan that involved demolishing the courthouse and adding onto the Justice Center. Indiana Landmarks has offered to pay for an updated plan that would keep the current courthouse in use, but the group says it still needs to coordinate with county officials on how to move ahead with that. Meanwhile, Commissioner Jerry Locke plans to unveil his own plan for addressing the county’s facilities issues that won’t involve adding onto the Justice Center.
Locke has previously spoken in favor of the idea of moving Circuit Court to the Justice Center, to help resolve issues with courtroom security and transporting inmates across the street. Last week, the commissioners promised to move the assessor’s and surveyor’s offices out of the courthouse basement, after Assessor Holly VanDerAa noted that five of her employees have gotten cancer after working there.
Both Indiana Landmarks and the Save the Pulaski County Courthouse group have been urging their supporters to attend tonight’s meeting. It starts at 6:00 EDT in the courthouse, followed by the regular county council meeting at 7:00.
Sheriff Jeff Richwine will discuss funding arrangements for his deputies’ new retirement plan with council members, while Highway Superintendent Terry Ruff will discuss funding arrangements for the purchase of a used dump truck. Superior Court Judge Crystal Brucker Kocher and Maintenance Director Mia Salyers will also have additional appropriation requests.
