Ruidoso project moves forward to improve access to courts

A site plan for a new magistrate-district court complex in the Village of Ruidoso was approved Tuesday, opening the way for the Village to finance construction, a debt that will be repaid monthly by the New Mexico Administrative Office of the Courts, said Luis Campos, statewide facilities manager for the New Mexico Administrative Office of the Courts.

The 12th Judicial District court building will be built at the west end of the Horton Complex off Service and Reese Streets. The Horton Complex is being remodeled to accommodate most of the village's departments to improve public access.

District Judge Dan Bryant said he never thought he would see the badly-needed court access approved for Ruidoso, the area in which the bulk of court cases and filing of civil documents occur.

The Lincoln County Courthouse in Carrizozo, a 45-minute drive to the northwest, remains the main district court center and houses the Carrizozo Division 1 Magistrate Court.

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Bryant thanked the county commission and Commissioner Elaine Allen, who was in the audience, for starting the project and creating the environment where everyone could work together to deliver a needed service for the communities.

"We will be able to advance justice and access in ways just 10 years ago I wouldn't have dreamed was possible in my lifetime," Bryant said. "Thanks for that vision and that work and commitment to the project."

Campos said two years ago, the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) received a grant to assess security and safety conditions across the state and learned that many of the magistrate courts are not secure. The Ruidoso Division 2 Magistrate Court was one of those with no secure parking for the judge or safety access when defendants are brought for appearances, he said.

"The courtroom is very small with a lot of people in it at times," Campos said. "We appreciate the Village partnering with us on a new magistrate court. We've been working with other municipalities to build a standard courthouse so that all the courts are the same."

The 10,600-square-foot building to be built where school tennis courts previously were situated, also will include a small district courtroom. The AOC will execute a long-term lease with the village, which will cover the annual debt service of $440,000, or about $36,000 per year.

Wes Hall with Wilson and Company said he already was working on the Horton redesign, and the court is the latest aspect.

"After we met with (village manager) Tim Dodge and got input and walked the site, we had a new vision from the original plan," he said.

Parking spaces, of concern to Councilor Tim Coughlin, were increased from 36 in the first design to 48, six more than required. Coughlin heads the Sierra Blanca Boys and Girls Club, which also is based in the Horton.

Those using the court will park in front or on busy days, an overflow area.

"In my experience, when a jury pool selection in underway, it is going to be packed, if not overloaded, and there are not enough spaces and there are no sidewalks in the area," Coughlin said. "So if they do go to overflow parking, they are going to have to walk in the street to get to the courthouse."

The design will include pathways as part of the court complex.

Judge Lund told commissioners her jury selection occurs one day a month on a Monday and that will be the busiest for parking, as she calls from 35 to 42 prospective jurors.

"The courts are trying to be more efficient statewide and we've done a very detailed study of jury pools all over New Mexico and as a consequence, we are reducing the  number of jurors summoned for each case," Judge Bryant said. "The standard now is about 36. On occasion, I  summon some more and I agree for a couple hours in the morning when I start a jury trial, it will be crowded.

"But I remind everybody, it is not like I will be doing jury trails everyday. We'll be doing on the order of two to six a month. If it is a difficult case needing a lot of jurors, those cases will be in Carrizozo, where I can sit 160 people in a courtroom."

The court building will have an entry lobby, pitched roof and stone facade, Hall said.

Campos said the AOC want to enter into a Joint Powers Agreement with the Village "to allow us to do most of the heavy lifting" such as selecting an architect and construction manager, ensuring paperwork is in place.

The Village then can issue the purchase orders and move forward with authorizing resolutions to incur the debt.

"We are landlords and they are the tenant," Mayor Lynn Crawford said. "We have final say. I'm told the loan will not affect our borrowing capacity or credit rating."

More:Court date? Consolidation aims to ease access, reduce costs

More:Building layout approved for Ruidoso's Horton Complex

More:Lincoln County Commission approves court consolidation 3-2

More:Court officials lay out case for court consolidation in Carrizozo and Ruidoso

"It will be entirely turnkey with cameras, furnishing and everything included," Campos said.

"I'm also working with Belen and Lovington already in line with the same concept. This will be the model for the state as we look at other court facilities."

Coughlin was relieved, because he said the village already is overseeing multiple projects.

Reporter Dianne Stallings can be contacted at dstallings@ruidosonews.com.