By Mike Smith
El Rito Media
msmith@currentargus.com

A presentation on renovating the current Eddy County Courthouse or building a new judicial complex south of Carlsbad awaits the Eddy County Board of County Commissioners during their meeting on Tuesday (Oct. 15).

The meeting starts at 8:30 a.m. in room 211 of the Eddy County Administration Complex at 101 W. Greene St. in Carlsbad.

Eddy County Public Works Director Jason Burns wrote in a memorandum to commissioners that presentation of a four-month study would outline studies, analysis and strategies pertaining to the choice of building a proposed new judicial complex south of Carlsbad or renovating the decades-old current courthouse downtown.

Burns said commissioners deferred action on a possible new courthouse to be built along with a new detention center and administration complex at their May 7 meeting, pending completion of the study..

The new complex would be located at 1602 Corrales Road across the street from the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office south of Carlsbad.

A potential move of the courthouse to the new location drew criticism from Carlsbad and Artesia residents during two public town hall meetings earlier this year.

“The County has conducted the necessary studies and has prepared a presentation to summarize the findings for the associated projects to accommodate the Fifth Judicial District Courts in Eddy County,” Burns wrote in the memorandum.

After the meeting, county officials are set to attend a groundbreaking ceremony for the new administation and detention complex at the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office at 1502 Corrales Drive.

Mike Smith may be reached at 575-308-8734 or email at msmith@currentargus.com.