Courtroom remodeling could cost $550,000

About 50 people attended a public hearing at the Wright County Courthouse March 23 to hear about security updates and historical renovations planned for the second floor courtroom. While most of the citizens who spoke up were in favor of spending almost $227,000 for increased security, several questioned why an additional $323,000 would be spent on an historic restoration.

Im not sure about spending tax money for preservation, Leroy Jenson said.

Andy Yackle, who has spearheaded the project, replied, It should be important to the citizens of Wright County to preserve this building. Yackle is a member of the courthouse maintenance staff. He first suggested the security and historical updates to the board of supervisors in February 2014 and requested that money be set aside in fiscal year 2015 and 2016 to pay for the project.

Yackle kicked off the public hearing by reviewing the history of the courthouse, which will celebrate its 125th anniversary in June 2016. A county-wide vote to approve building the courthouse was held in 1890. The construction cost $48,000 (it was estimated the project would cost $40,000) and it would take $1.25 million to replace the courthouse today. It is the most prestigious building in Wright County, Yackle said.

According to Scott Hand, district court administrator for the second district, there were a total of 2,900 filings in Wright County last year. Its a smaller county, but there is still a lot going on, he said. This is a busy place.

Judge Paul Ahlers said, Security is very important - both for the personnel who work here and the structure of the building. He added, We invite the worst people in society to come here - criminals, drug addicts, sociopaths and psychopaths. We dont only invite them here, we require that they come here.

Sheriff Jason Schluttenhofer said the Wright County Courthouse has been the scene of two high-profile criminal trials in the past two years. He also pointed out that the most heated confrontations often occur during divorce or family court proceedings.

The security aspects of the proposed project include key fobs for the main corridor, video surveillance that would be upgraded to a higher resolution, weapons screening, bullet resistant materials, and improvements in the fire alarm system. There is currently no fire alarm light or horn in the courtroom.

The security upgrades would cost nearly $227,000, and would have to be paid for entirely by the county. The proposed historic restoration could be funded by grants, donations and fundraising. Yackle said that up to $225,000 in grant money could be available for the restoration.

John Bloom, an architect with SlingShot Architecture, explained that the courthouse was built in the Victorian Romanesque style which was popular in the late 19th century.

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Courtroom remodeling could cost $550,000