To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Shannon Carter, Director, Open Spaces
Prepared By:
prepared
Kendra Davis, Management Analyst II, Commissioners’ Office
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presenter
Presenter: Shannon Carter, Director, Open Spaces
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Subject:
title
10:00 AM *Judicial District Transition Update
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Purpose and Request:
recommended action
The purpose of this study session is to provide an update on the judicial district transition process and to receive Board feedback and approval.
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Background and Discussion: HB20-1026 requires the 18th Judicial District, which currently serves Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert, and Lincoln counties, to transition from a four-county district into two judicial districts. The 18th Judicial District will become a single county judicial district, which will serve Arapahoe County, while the 23rd Judicial District will serve Douglas, Elbert, and Lincoln counties, effective Jan. 7, 2025. An election for the 18th and 23rd judicial district attorneys will be held in November 2024.
In August 2021, staff began meeting with representatives from Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties and 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office to discuss the transition. In January 2022, Douglas and Arapahoe counties issued a Request for Proposal for transition planning services, selecting CGL Companies (CGL) to provide the team shared information to help manage the transition. In February 2022, staff drafted a project charter in order to: provide an understanding of the project, the reason it is being conducted, its justification sponsorship; and establish the general scope, the staffing requirements, schedule and how it relates to other County initiatives.
CGL was contracted in April 2022 with the primary responsibility “to provide information to support Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert, and Lincoln Counties and the Office of the District Attorney in managing the transition of the 18th Judicial District, including potential transition costs that could be shared with the state for reimbursement.” CLG completed their analysis in November 2022; the executive summary and county comparison is attached for reference. Following completion of the analysis, it was determined that both counties would continue transition independently, with regular check-ins as appropriate. Arapahoe County staff have continued to meet monthly with the DA’s Office staff to discuss the transition. The most recent meeting on May 3, involved a presentation and discussion of benefits from the County’s HR staff.
On March 21, 2023, the Board received an update on this process and expressed agreement with the proposed timeline and its reflection of Arapahoe County’s proposed approach to implementation. Based on that feedback, staff continues to work towards providing a more detailed milestone plan.
Since that presentation, the state legislature passed an orbital bill (SB23-230) to accompany the original bill (HB20-1026) and make an appropriation providing state assistance to counties affected by the 23rd judicial district. The funds appropriated for the 2023-24 state fiscal year are $668,600, which may be used towards “consulting fees and transition contractor project management fees.” Assistance is also included for the 2024-25 state fiscal year for “costs related to annual and sick leave payouts for staff to transition from the eighteenth to the twenty-third judicial district; and…transition and implementation of information technology infrastructure, equipment, and software; data preservation, separation, and migration; and information technology staff transition.”
Staff requests that the Board confirm the direction of this process and provide feedback.
Fiscal Impact: N/A
Alternatives: N/A
Alignment with Strategic Plan:
☒Be fiscally sustainable
☒Provide essential and mandated service
☒Be community focused
Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends continuing to move forward with the plan as approved by the BOCC.
Concurrence: The County Attorney’s Office, Information Technology, Human Resources, and Finance Departments concur with the timeline.