MILTON — Santa Rosa County commissioners again are going to try to get a new judicial center built, but this time they are going to take things slow.
Commissioners have discussed the need for a new judicial center for years, but have never agreed on a place or a price. The board today is expected to schedule a series of special workshops dedicated exclusively to hashing out the broad plans.
“I would propose we set aside time in the near future to hold a workshop to discuss the proposed judicial facility,” County Commissioner Lane Lynchard said at Monday’s committee meeting. “I think it’s too big of an item to tackle on a regular agenda. I think there are a lot of issues surrounding a new judicial facility that we need to have, and I don’t think it would be practical to have that in a committee meeting or a regular meeting.
“We’re not going to meet in 60 days and then build a new courthouse,” he added. “We’re going to meet and embark on that process because it takes a long time.”
Rather than selecting a site for the judicial center now, Lynchard recommended the board discuss what area of the county they want to build it.
He said the board also should discuss alternatives to a sales tax to fund construction, and recommended commissioners consider building the judicial center in phases. He suggested building a new courthouse first and add ancillary functions such as space for the state attorney’s office later.
“If we’re going from 38,000 square feet now, do we really need to go straight to a 100,000-square-foot facility or a 120,000-square-foot facility, or is it something we can do in phases?” Lynchard said. “That’s an option I think we need to consider.”
Commissioner Bob Cole said he disagreed with using the existing courthouse for ancillary functions, but would be willing to discuss it at the workshops. Cole suggested scheduling sessions in north and south ends of the county to draw participation from all residents.