To: Board of County Commissioners
From: Joshua Freeman, Director of Administration
title
RE: 67th District Court MOU
recommendation
BOARD ACTION REQUESTED:
Approval of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Genesee County Board of County Commissioners and the 67th District Court with authorization for the mediation team to sign the MOU.
BACKGROUND:
In 2023, the Board of County Commissioners approved Genesee County's Capital Improvement Plan (GCCIP). The GCCIP called for the closing of several district court locations. The 67th District Court sued to stop those closures. As part of a settlement agreement, the Court and the County agreed to mediation to come to a final court consolidation agreement. Mediation sessions have concluded with an agreement on a path forward.
DISCUSSION:
The attached MOU is the culmination of several months of mediation sessions. In short, the County and the Court have agreed to:
* Close two satellite court facilities; Mt. Morris & Flushing by August 5, 2025.
* Build a new magistrate hearing room at the McCree Building.
* Commit to building a new court facility, by 2030, in the County Seat that will accommodate the entire District Court, contingent on availability of funding.
* Upgrade necessary technology to accommodate the local communities and local law enforcement agencies.
* Seek no changes to the current District Court election districts/divisions.
* Seek no reduction in staffing because of consolidation
IMPACT ON HUMAN RESOURCES:
There should be no impact on Human Resources because of this MOU.
IMPACT ON BUDGET:
There will be an unknown impact on the budget in effectuating this MOU. Initially, the County will realize savings from the closing of two buildings. Per the Capital Improvement Plan, those savings are to be transferred to the Capital Improvement Fund to help offset facility maintenance. The unknown portion of this will be the final building cost. Staff is currently evaluating proposals for a space st...
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