Drafter
Clerk 12/08/2009
Title
A MOTION accepting the superior court targeted facility master plan.
Body
WHEREAS, the superior court of King County provides juvenile, family law and supporting therapeutic courts services to the 1.86 million citizens in King County, and
WHEREAS, Ordinance 15083, adopting the 2005 King County Budget, authorized funding for a targeted operational master plan and called for a work plan to review the operations, services and potential facilities needs for the juvenile, family law and supporting therapeutic courts, and
WHEREAS, the work plan was approved by the King County council by motion in August 2005, and
WHEREAS, Ordinance 15601 approved the superior court targeted operational master plan in September 2006, and
WHEREAS, Ordinance 15652, adopting the 2007 King County Budget, authorized funding for a superior court facility master plan and called for a work plan that included plans to integrate the work plan with other criminal justice planning efforts and show how stakeholders shall be coordinated with the planning work and included in oversight of the planning effort, and
WHEREAS, the superior court facility master plan work plan was approved by the King County council by motion in May 2007, and
WHEREAS, over the last two years, elected judges and staff of the superior court, the King County prosecutor, deputy prosecutors, and staff, the King County sheriff and staff, and staff of the office of management and budget, the facilities management division of the department of executive services, the department of adult and juvenile detention, the office of public defense, the king county law library, the state of Washington Department of Social and Health Services, the state of Washington Attorney General's Office and public and private stakeholders, attorneys, social service providers and others, participated in the development of the superior court facility master plan, and
WHEREAS, the superior court facility master plan work group developed a range of potential scenarios for facilities at the King County youth services center site, and
WHEREAS, K.C.C. 4.04.200 establishes the processes for operational and facilities master planning efforts that include current and future workload assumptions, and
WHEREAS, the superior court facility master plan has been reviewed and approved by the superior court facility master plan steering committee, and
WHEREAS, as required in K.C.C. 4.04.200, the King County executive has approved the superior court facilities master plan and has transmitted it to council for its review and approval, and
WHEREAS, the operational master plan objective of colocating matters involving juveniles in a single facility remains the county's policy goal, and
WHEREAS, the council has concerns that the selection of population growth projections as the basis on which to determine future facility needs, as used in the facility master plan to develop various options or scenarios, may not be the most appropriate, and
WHEREAS, the council desires that the operational costs of any new facility be sustainable and that any increase in operational costs be minimized or offset through operational efficiencies derived from colocation, increased fee or other revenue, and the potential for private development on the site;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the King County council:
A. The council affirms the goal of colocating all juvenile offender, Northend juvenile dependency and family court matters involving children in a single facility as envisioned by scenario 5.5 of the superior court facility master plan, as described in Attachment A to this motion.
B. In deciding how to proceed with the funding of any replacement facility for the existing juvenile courthouse, the council requires additional information as to whether it is possible to phase construction of the project and/or reduce the size of the replacement facility, and number of courtrooms, while maintaining the objectives of scenario 5.5. The council requests the executive and superior court explore whether the facility needed to fulfill the objectives of scenario 5.5 could be reduced if the future needs were based on the case filing and proceeding trends of family law, juvenile offender, Becca Bill and juvenile dependency cases in King County.
C. In deciding how to proceed with the funding of the replacement facility for the existing juvenile courthouse, the council requires additional information on how the operating costs of such a replacement facility fit within the overall funding constraints facing the county's general fund for 2011 and thereafter.
D.1. The executive and superior court shall submit a report to the council by March 31, 2010, which shall include:
a. the feasibility of scaling back the size of the replacement facility envisioned under scenario 5.5, and the impact of such a reduction on adopted policy objectives and operational costs, and to also include an estimate of the operational efficiency savings derived from the colocation;
b. phasing options that maintain the objectives of scenario 5.5; and
c. an assessment of operating and capital needs as it relates to anticipated availability of financial resources.
2. The report requested by this motion to be filed in the form of a paper original and an electronic copy with the clerk of the council, who shall retain the original and provide an electronic copy to all councilmembers.
E. The superior court facility master plan, as described in Attachment A to this motion, is hereby accepted.