Courthouse ownership takes shape
The path to deciding who owns what around Court Square is beginning to be paved after city officials decided to make good on their promises.
Members of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved on first reading March 17 an ordinance to provide for a quitclaim deed for property described as the courthouse and the courthouse sidewalks, which includes everything from the outer edge of those sidewalks in.
The property is described in survey terms in the ordinance, but was previously identified by members of joint city and county Building and Grounds Committee after members generally agreed the county should own the courthouse and the city should own the area outside the courthouse sidewalks.
The joint meeting of city and county officials followed a parking sign dispute initiated by County Executive Kenneth Rogers after he removed the city’s signs regulating parking in some areas around Court Square.
City officials ordered the signs be put back up, but as a result of the dispute, questions of ownership of Court Square property arose, leading to the joint meeting in mid-February.
County commissioners also met March 17 to discuss the issue but did not vote upon the arrangement, which proposes the county quitclaim the rest of the disputed property around Court Square to the city.
County Building and Grounds Committee Chair Carl Bouldin said the county attorney was preparing legal groundwork. The Land Committee is set to meet tomorrow to discuss the issue.
In other action, city officials voted to approve an intergovernmental contract with the county and the Warren County Emergency Communications District. Mayor Royce Davenport also appointed Vice Mayor Patti Nunley to the Alcoholic Beverage Board until 2004 and appointed Rodney Boyd to the Historic Zoning Commission. Boyd is to fill the term of Mark Latka until 2005. The appointments were approved unanimously.