FOCUS and Public Defender relocating

Alexis Barker
NLJ Reporter
 
Both the Weston County public defender’s office and FOCUS will be relocating to the Weston County Annex this week after the Weston County commissioners voted in May to approve rental agreements for office space with the two entities. 
Extra office space at the annex has been a topic of discussion among the commissioners and other county officials, including County Attorney Alex Berger, since he took office earlier this year. During their May 7 meeting, the commissioners approved FOCUS and the public defender’s office relocating to the building and lease agreements between the entities were approved on May 21.
On May 7, Deputy County Attorney Saige Smith asked the commission’s approval for authority to enter into a lease agreement with FOCUS and the public defender’s office for $600 a month each to occupy empty offices in the annex building used by the Weston County attorney and the University of Wyoming extension offices. She said that the agreement would include utilities, with each entity responsible for its own internet and office cleaning. 
According to Smith, the one issue with relocating the public defender to the annex is the separation of that office from the county attorney’s office, which is located in the same building, because they will be representing opposite sides in court cases. 
“The issue is dealing with whatever problem there is with a wall,” Smith said. “Alex (Berger, county attorney) has looked at a divider instead of a physical wall.”
She said that blinds for the inside windows of the two offices that the public defender will occupy are also needed to help with privacy issues. 
On May 21, Berger reported that he specifically left partitions out of the lease agreements but that FOCUS was demanding that there be a partition between the public defender’s office and theirs and that the county attorney’s office wants them as well. 
“I specifically left it out of the lease so we did not commit to anything,” Berger said. 
Eight-foot partitions are needed to completely stop the line of sight between the offices, Berger said, and he was requesting an authorization to use funds to purchase the needed partitions. 
Commissioner Tracy Hunt said he was concerned about a stipulation in the public defender’s lease agreement stating that its clients were not allowed to use the restroom. He asked why that was stated. 
“There are concerns FOCUS had with victims of crimes and alleged defendants in there,” Smith said. “The public defender and staff can use it, but it limits the clients.”
Hunt said that he did not like it, with Commissioner Nathan Todd agreeing and asking if there was going to be a sign saying that the public can’t walk into the open space anymore. 
“I don’t think you can limit it,” Hunt said “You might be there (at the public defender’s office) for a DUI, and that is totally unrelated to FOCUS.” 
Chairman Tony Barton said that there should be communication between the offices to not schedule people on the same case at the same time. 
“There are also concerns from extension because sometimes kids are in there,” Smith said. “They don’t want them co-mingling.” 
Hunt stressed that defendants are innocent until proven guilty.
“I would prefer we remove it (the restroom prohibition),” Todd said. 
Commissioner Marty Ertman asked if there was a way to lock the bathroom, with permission needed to use it. 
“I think if we have a public bathroom, it needs to be public,” Barton said. 
The commissioners approved both lease agreements, with the stipulation that the restroom restriction be removed from the public defender’s lease. They noted that if the situation is not working out, both entities have the ability to get out of the contract with 90 days’ notice. 
Ertman said that she would like the 1 percent sales tax money given to FOCUS to be reviewed during the upcoming budget due to the new arrangement for office space. 
“If we are willing to give them part of the 1 percent sales tax, why not give them rent-free space and free up that 1 percent monies for something else,” Ertman said. 
The rest of the commissioners agreed that it should be looked at during the upcoming budget process.