The meeting will take place at 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14, in San Francisco.
It will be livestreamed on the Judicial Council’s Web site.
The staff report for the discussion is on the first page of the agenda packet published below; the updated priority list can be found on page 45 of the packet.
As a result of Government Code section 70371. – enacted by the governor and State Legislature in June 2018 – no funding for new courthouse construction projects will be provided until the Judicial Council reassesses all courthouse projects identified in its Update to Trial Court Capital-Outlay Plan and Prioritization Methodology, adopted in October of 2008.
The Judicial Council’s Court Facilities Advisory Committee was given the task of working on that new priority list.
That process began in August 2018, and from February to September a working group evaluated more than 213 buildings across the state.
The result was an updated priority list of 80 projects that had Lakeport’s long-awaited new four-courtroom courthouse in the No. 1 spot, at an estimated $51.2 million to build. A $15 million new one-room courthouse in Clearlake is listed in the No. 6 spot. Both are in the “immediate need” category.
No. 2 on the list is the new Ukiah courthouse in Mendocino County, at an estimated cost of $89.6 million.
The committee revised the initial scoring criteria and priority list based largely on public comment and on Oct. 1 approved sending it on to the Judicial Committee for consideration.
At this week’s meeting, the Judicial Council will consider the Court Facilities Advisory Committee’s recommendations to adopt the revised prioritization methodology for trial court capital-outlay projects, discuss the adoption of the revised statewide list of trial court capital projects, and delegate to the administrative director the authority to make technical changes to the reports for submission to the Legislature, subject to the review and approval of the Court Facilities Advisory Committee chair and vice chair.
Other items on the council’s Thursday meeting agenda include:
– Legal services for low-income litigants: The council will consider distributing $2.5 million in this year’s state budget for the Sargent Shriver Civil Counsel pilot projects, which provide legal representation and improved court services to eligible low-income litigants.
– Legislative priorities: The council will consider its legislative priorities for the upcoming year. Proposed priorities include improving court efficiency, investments in the judicial branch, and securing critically needed judgeships.
– “Court Adoption and Permanency Month”: The council will consider a recommendation to proclaim November “Court Adoption and Permanency Month.” This year marks the 20th year the council has recognized the efforts of California courts and justice partners to provide children and families with fair and understandable judicial proceedings and just permanency outcomes.
– Presentation of Distinguished Service and Aranda Awards: The council will present Justice Dennis Perluss and Judge Hilary Chittick with its Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes extraordinary contributions to California's judicial branch. In addition, the California Lawyers Association – in partnership with the Judicial Council and the California Judges Association – will present Judge Carol Brosnahan with the Aranda Access to Justice Award, which honors a judge for improving fairness and access to the courts, especially for low-and moderate-income Californians.
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111419 Judicial Council Agenda Packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd