The Greene County supervisors at their Feb. 8 meeting moved forward with appointing a courthouse security committee, following a proposal written by assistant county attorney Thomas Laehn.
The committee will include the county sheriff, auditor, attorney, safety coordinator and one supervisor; the Jefferson police chief; veterans services director Tracie Perez representing courthouse employees on the first floor; a district court judge; the magistrate; and the clerk of court. Some of those persons may designate someone to serve in their place.
The committee will reach consensus on the appropriate location in the building of all court-related offices, and then propose a courthouse security plan to the county supervisors. Currently, magistrate court is on the first floor, the clerk of court is on the second floor, and the remaining offices are on the third floor with the district courtroom.
Laehn’s proposal lists four guiding principles for the committee: to protect all courthouse employees and visitors from harm; to ensure that all residents of Greene County can easily access elected officials and county employees and that the courthouse remains an open and welcoming public space; to preserve the beauty and architectural integrity of the courthouse; and to ensure that the courthouse remains a functional seat of government for the foreseeable future.
The supervisors did not select their representative on the committee. A date for the initial meeting was not set.
