2002 AGN JAN 15 I05 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Item #5 DEC 1. 2 2001 CITY w COTTON OFFICE OF THE MAYOR WAYOR'SOFFICE JUDITH VALLES San December 10, 2001 The Honorable Dierdre Bennett City of Colton 250 North La Cadena Drive Colton, CA. 92324 300 North "D" Street • San Bernardino • CA 92418-0001 909384.5133 • Fax: 909.384.5067 www.ci.san-bernardino.ca.us Re: Support for new Multiplex Courthouse In downtown San Bernardino. Dear Mayor Bennett: The Central Courthouse in San Bernardino is inadequate and cannot accommodate the needs of our growing communities. The building, constructed in 1926, cannot sustain a major earthquake. The building is not safe to conduct criminal trials due to the lack of a central location for security screening, and the fact that it is virtually impossible to separate prisoners from victims, witnesses, jurors, staff and the public. The lack of space in the building necessitates that auxiliary and support agencies be located outside of the courthouse. Further, it is projected that by the year 2006, the number of judgeships will increase by 20 to 22 to handle the increased need for judicial services in the County seat. While retrofitting the current historic Courthouse would solve the seismic problem, it would not address the security and growth issues. Therefore, I am asking for your support for the construction and operation of a new multiplex Courthouse in downtown San Bernardino. This new facility would be built with state of the art security measures to protect the public, and would accommodate the current judges, as well as the anticipated new judges that will be needed over the next 5-10 years. Collocation of the District Attorney's Office, the Public Defender, Probation Services and Court Administration at the new facility would better serve the public. For these reasons, I request that your City adopt a Resolution of Support (model attached). If you have any questions or concerns, please contact my Executive Assistant, Teri Rubi, at (909) 384-5133. Sincerely, Judith Valles, Mayor CITY OF SAN BERNARDINo ADOPTED SHARED VALUES: Integrity • Accountability • Respect for Human Dignity • Honesty