Kentucky

Here is a press release I just received.  It was sent out on Oct. 2 announcing Chief Justice Minton's meeting with the public and the press to discuss courthouse construction today at 10:00 a.m.

I will be looking for the press response to this after the series published recently in the Herald Leader.

Here are some background posts:

• OP-ED FROM HERALD LEADER: "Courthouse plan wastes taxes, trust - Pike tale shows why Ky. never progresses"
• Kentucky courthouse building program questioned from the Kentucky Rural Blog
• Law & Mortar: An examination of a courthouse building boom  from Herald Leader
• Here is a flash from a post dated April 11, 2006 at Bluegrass Report (Mark Nicolas) identifying legislation that passed legislative cuts, to include a multitude of courthouse construction projects which references a story by Rya Allesi with the Herald Leader! 2 Officials Not Happy With Budget -- Auditor, Attorney General say they're hit with cuts (Herald-Leader)
• And from "Osi Speaks" Blog: In Kentucky, Courthouse Often A Part Of History.

Here is the announced press release from the AOC:

FRANKFORT , Ky. , Oct. 2, 2008 - Chief Justice of Kentucky John D. Minton Jr. will discuss the Administrative Office of the Courts judicial center construction program at the Friday, Oct. 3, meeting of the Court Facilities Standards Committee (CFSC). The meeting will be open to the public. It will begin at 10 a.m. in the AOC Building 12 conference room at 100 Millcreek Park in Frankfort .

During the meeting, Chief Justice Minton will solicit input from the committee on possible changes/improvements to the judicial center construction program.

The CFSC is a 10-member body comprised of representatives from the Kentucky Executive, Judicial and Legislative branches of government and a county official appointed by the governor. The committee reviews design plans, cost estimates and financing proposals for new court facilities statewide. State Sen. Robert Stivers and state Rep. Kathy Stein co-chair the 10-member committee, which includes Chief Justice Minton and AOC Director Jason Nemes.

The committee operates under the auspices of the AOC in Frankfort , which is the operational arm of the Kentucky Court of Justice. The AOC Department of Facilities oversees court facility construction, renovation and maintenance throughout the commonwealth.

What: Chief Justice Minton will discuss the Administrative Office of the Courts judicial center construction program and solicit input from the committee on possible changes/improvements. The committee will also discuss new judicial center projects for Breckinridge, Fleming and Pike counties, which were among the 17 judicial center projects authorized by the 2006 General Assembly and funded by the 2008 General Assembly.

Original project plans:

Breckinridge County - 33,000-square-foot judicial center with an estimated total project cost of $11.5 million

Fleming County - 32,800-square-foot judicial center with an estimated total project cost of $11.5 million

Pike County - 94,900-square-foot judicial center with an estimated total project cost of $28.4 million

When: Friday, Oct. 3, 10 a.m. EDT

Where: Administrative Office of the Courts, Building 12 conference room, 100 Millcreek Park, Frankfort