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Courthouse situation is improving ... no joke Great progress has been made on the Seneca County Courthouse. That statement is not a joke. Of course, no repairs have been made, walls added or taken away, features restored, items replaced or rooms redone. However, the county - its leaders and its people - has gone from muddling along toward spending a lot of money on what probably would continue to be an unsightly and inadequate building to seeking a plan that will result in a workable and attractive courthouse. It wasn't that many weeks ago when the commissioners were headed toward awarding contracts that would have kept the outside steps from falling down and provided a larger, second common pleas courtroom. Plans were considered to use an insurance settlement from the Hanson building fire to build yet another downtown county office building. These steps would have improved some conditions for county government. But the following problems would have remained: * The work would not have addressed the long-term needs of the county's courts. The rooms used by Judge Michael Kelbley's court - which has the better of the two courtrooms - are far from adequate. Adding a second larger courtroom would not have dealt with the space and security needs of either court. * The overall courthouse is not, in its present condition, simply unsightly. It is in bad shape. If it is to be used for most of this century, many of its systems and features need to be updated. * The patching up of the courthouse would not have solved the issue of what to do with the old jail and sheriff's residence. But things have changed. When challenged to make known their views about the future of the courthouse, county residents responded. The commissioners quickly recognized that their constituents wanted more than a quick fix. After holding a community forum and conducting a survey, the commissioners named an 11-person advisory committee to study and make recommendations on the courthouse issue. This committee represents a variety of viewpoints and areas of expertise. Its members can be expected to take a comprehensive look at both the needs of the offices and courts that will use the courthouse and the ability to meet those needs with either a restoration/remodeling or new construction. The committee also can be expected to give an opinion about how much additional money the county would need for the project and how that money might be raised. Progress indeed has been made. There will be costs involved, but when the final package is presented to residents of the county, it will be one that will address the needs of the affected portions of county government as far into this century as can be projected. That sure is a lot better than shelling out money on a plan that would last only until the next crisis.
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