This time’s the charm?

In the past two years, Johnson County voters have rejected two proposed bonds for courthouse expansion and jail construction. This November, as Iowans tread water in a sea of national political attack ads, county officials hope local residents are paying attention to a $33.4 million modified courthouse plan that does not include a jail.

And, officials have reason to wonder.

A series of seven come-and-go informational meetings organized by supervisors during September were attended by only a handful of residents.

A forum organized by the local League of Women Voters to discuss the proposed courthouse annex and local-option sales tax began and ended with open seats.

Tours of the historic Johnson County Courthouse are available each Wednesday this month, but most the visitors thus far have been members of the media.

'Our hope is that as information has been distributed about how this proposal differs - about how we've listened to what residents have said they'd support and what they won't - that people are feeling confident this is a workable compromise and a proposal that isn't over-the-top in terms of cost or space,” Supervisor Rod Sullivan told The Gazette during the information meeting at the Administration Building on Sept. 22.

2014 PROPOSAL

The bond issue calls for up to $33.4 million to be spent on construction and outfitting of an annex to the existing courthouse, which was opened in 1901.

With a nod to historic preservationists who worried a new structure would spoil the charm of the existing building, the proposed three-story annex will be placed partially underground and into the western portion of the hill on which the current courthouse sits.

A walkway, connecting old and new, would be placed within an atrium, aligned with the courthouse tower and allow natural light. Windows (and more natural light) are planned for the exposed sides of the annex. The grass-topped roof would be open to pedestrian traffic.

The three floors would provide just over 69,000 square feet of space, including six new courtrooms, offices for nine judges and 10 court reporters, six jury deliberation rooms, six conference rooms, a law library, restrooms, media rooms, detention cells (for criminal defendants awaiting court proceedings), an enlarged clerk of court office and various storage and mechanical areas.

Changes, mostly encompassing security, would also take place within the existing structure. For instance, the public would be funneled through a secure entrance on the side of the building that currently faces Harrison St. The current facility does not have room for metal detectors or security checkpoints.

The annex would provide what local attorneys, courthouse staff and county officials claim is their most needed commodity: space.

'We really are working on top of one another,” County Attorney Janet Lyness said at a recent forum, noting that the state is willing to provide Johnson County with additional judges to help alleviate what has become a significant backlog of court cases. Given the current space, however, there is no place to house additional court workers. Some courthouse staff are already working in space that was previously a closet.

The cramped quarters have adversely impacted every aspect of court services.

Since criminal and child-in-need cases are given a higher priority, many civil cases are postponed. One young woman who spoke to The Gazette has had her divorce proceedings delayed for months and was told, realistically, the case would likely not come before a judge for at least another year.

Courthouse visitors have routinely been placed in uncomfortable situations. That is, disabled visitors have been unable to fully use courtroom facilities, such as witness stands, because the building cannot be made ADA compliant. Some involved in sensitive criminal cases have been unfortunate enough as to encounter individuals they've accused of violent acts outside of courtrooms. Because restrooms are poorly located, a rear door must remain unlocked and has previously been used as an escape route.

Defense attorneys are often forced to huddle in hallways with their clients since there is no available private conference room space for strategic or sensitive discussions. A member of our editorial board was reviewing a criminal case file before a hearing when the defendant and his attorney sat down in neighboring chairs and began discussing the case.

ELBOW ROOM

When 82-year-old Iowa City resident Jack Ruth was called for possible jury duty a few months ago, he expected the experience to be similar to his call to service about 18 years ago.

'This was different,” Ruth said of the 'cattle call” for jury service. 'There were about 100 of us called in. It was absolutely standing room only - in the hall and all up and down the stairwell. We were literally elbow-to-elbow and had to push even closer together when someone needed to use the stairs.”

The group was in the courthouse for about three hours, he added, with no place to sit while waiting and limited restroom facilities.

'We have a courthouse that was built to accommodate the population of the county in the 1880s or 1890s,” Ruth said. 'People back then were very conservative and I'm guessing they built their government buildings to the size they needed at the time. But even if they were looking 10 or 20 years into the future, they would not have imagined this facility serving the population it is trying to serve today.”

Ultimately, Ruth was one of about a dozen people not chosen to serve on a jury. On one hand, he said, that was disappointing because he was ready to do his duty. On the other hand, 'I just wanted to get out of there,” he said.

TAX IMPACT

A supermajority of 60 percent is required for the courthouse annex to pass. If it passes, Supervisor Terrence Neuzil said the board will discuss both 15- and 20-year bonding.

A rough estimate, he said, is that a 20-year bond for the full $33.4 million would add about $17 for every $100,000 evaluation. In other words, a homeowner with an assessed property value of $250,000 could expect a roughly $43 increase in property taxes as a result of the courthouse annex bond issue.

If the county elects to place the bond on a shorter time-span, the tax impact would slightly increase for property owners.

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