Courthouse security needed for all offices

Although the county courthouse renovation and upgrading has stalled due to costs, the plan to upgrade the courthouse security continues. 
During a regular commissioners’ meeting, county  commissioner Bud Krohn Jr. asked county clerk Christi Hoffa if she could voice her concern about the courthouse security. Hoffa was attending the meeting to request if the clerk’s office can enter into a contract to offer a credit card machine as a paying option of court fees.
Hoffa said she was not the county clerk when the plan for the courthouse upgrade was being addressed. Since then it has become apparent that there are more security measures that need to happen, specifically with the clerk’s office. 
“We deal with the same people that go to the prosecutor’s office — that go to the probation office — that are upset that they have fees and fines that they have to pay. They come to us to pay those fees. They don’t pay them at the prosecutor’s office or the probation office. So those same people that go to court and are upset are coming downstairs because they have fines and fees to pay,” Hoffa said. “We think that the clerk’s office needs to be re-addressed.” 
Krohn Jr. asked Pulaski County Sheriff Jeff Richwine why when the courthouse panic buttons are hit, someone from the sheriff’s office calls and doesn’t respond. Hoffa said she understands that incident happened in the past and not since she was in office. 
Richwine said this is the first he has heard of this incident. 
The upgrade is wanted not only for security reasons but also storage reasons. Hoffa said she is working on eliminating files and so space has been cleared but further work will need to be done. 
Commissioner Larry Brady said these issues need to  be brought to the attention of the council because they are the ones who “chose not to move forward.”