LA Junta Tribune
Otero County will receive $151,273 next year after being awarded a grant that will contribute to a single-entry structure project for the county courthouse.
The project includes remodeling the courts area to make room for a hearing room and an office for magistrate activities.
The Underfunded Grant Commission grant is a 50% matching grant, and the county will receive the total percent of the funds it requested, $151,273.
A single-entry point for the courthouse as well as a partial remodeling of the west-end courts area has been in the county's sights for over a year. The concept was previously addressed by the Justice Center Steering Committee, but plans to pitch a sales tax increase that would help fund a comprehensive Justice Center Master Plan to voters fell through due to the the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic.