Greene County Presiding Commissioner Bob Dixon highlighted the investments the county has made and ways processes have been modernized in his annual State of the County address.
Dixon gave his annual update on the county at the CoxHealth Meyer Fitness Center on Thursday, Oct. 1, during the Good Morning Springfield! event hosted by the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce. He shared strides made with the county's judicial facilities, ways different departments have become more efficient and renewed a pledge to continue to move forward with transparency and fairness to all.
Throughout his address, Dixon emphasized the county's commitment to public service and the level of excellence the county strives for in its customer service mission.
Investments in new court facilities, greater focus on mental health
Among the
highlights of the address was the investment made by the county to repurpose the old Greene County Jail for an expansion to the courts facilities and county offices. Dixon noted the project maximized public safety tax dollars approved by voters in 2017 even as material and construction costs rose due to inflation.
The more than $24 million renovation means family courts, the juvenile court and administration and Greene County Youth Academy will receive new facilities. Additionally, an expansive new secured one-stop entrance and lobby building is being added to the current Greene County Circuit Court building.
"What used to be an old jail pod, complete with the very same skylight by the way, [is] repurposed as a spacious, trauma-informed juvenile courtroom, drawn from the latest nationally recognized best practices, where staff and support organizations and partners would literally and symbolically surround those being served," Dixon said.
The new facilities will be publicly dedicated on Nov. 9, he said, with an open house and tours to follow.
In the Thursday address, Dixon also highlighted how the commission allocated American Rescue Plan Act funds to invest in the next generation. Those investments include $5.3 million for Centerstone's, formerly Burrell, Youth Resiliency Campus, which Dixon said served its 100th client yesterday; more than $350,000 for Good Samaritan Boys Ranch resource center for youth aging out of foster care; and $500,0000 for the Business Connect Center at the new Springfield-Greene County Library's Republic branch.
Dixon also noted that the juvenile courts division is reimagining it's programming to place a larger focus on mental health services, and the Greene County Jail has expanded its behavioral health services to now include a full-time on-site liaison to help accelerate referrals, connect individuals with services and support those preparing for re-entry. The presiding commissioner said opioid settlement funding has also expanded access to psychiatric care, including weekly consultations, telehealth evaluations and collaborative treatment planning.
Among other highlights of each county department's positive contributions was the modernization of the circuit court systems, increased accessibility for blind and visually impaired voters at the ballot box, and the doubling of customer service windows in the Assessor's Office.
Dixon closed out his Thursday address by renewing a commitment he said he had made eight years ago when first joining the commission. He made a pledge to adhere to the letter and spirit of law, respect the citizens as guardians of county government, understand and honor the independence and limitations of each office holder, serve the people loyally, and treat all people with dignity and respect.
Marta Mieze covers local government at the News-Leader. Have feedback, tips or story ideas? Contact her at mmieze@news-leader.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Greene County leader outlines investments in courts, mental health
