Office space inside Salina’s City-County Building is at a premium and now with two new judges slated to come to town – Saline County is on the clock to find a way to build two new courtrooms.

County Administrator Phillip Smith Hanes joined in on the KSAL Morning News Extra Thursday to cover a wide range of topics including the coming office crunch on the third floor.

Smith Hanes says he’s already had some preliminary talks with an architect that gave him sticker shock.

Although the cost estimate remains undisclosed Smith Hanes says courtrooms are well appointed for a reason.

 

Other options discussed during the interview included expanding the City-County Building, reusing the main courtroom in the old Saline County Courthouse, or waiting for the new jail to be completed so land or office space would become available at the current jail site.

Smith Hanes says to complicate matters on the timeline is a gubernatorial race in Kansas that could fast-forward or hamper the appointment of the yet to be nominated judges. He told listeners he expects the judicial nominating committee and the governor to appoint the two new judges sometime between the fall of 2022 and spring of 2023.

Currently the first floor at the City-County Building has facilities for juvenile court and offices while the third floor houses courtrooms and office space as well.