BY WESLEY YOUNG
SALISBURY POST

The jail is people-packed. A new district court judge could arrive any day and demand a gavel and courtroom.

County commissioners wrestled Monday with how to proceed on solving the courthouse overcrowding.

County Manager Tim Russell’s advice to commissioners is surprising: Go slow on solving the court space problems.

‘‘It is a major long-term project,’’ Russell argues, maintaining the county should take the time to plan and get things right, rather than rush forward and make the wrong choices.

County Commissioner Arnold Chamberlain had a different take on the problem Monday night, when he put the court expansion on the agenda:

‘‘I think it is time,’’ Chamberlain said, saying the county should meet with an architect and proceed to put two courtrooms in the unfinished second story of the new court building.

In the end, commissioners decided they must meet with all of the court and jail officials to reach a solution on what steps to take next.

The needs are many:

- A new courtroom for the county’s third district court judge, who remains to be appointed.

- More jail cells. A recent count showed 208 inmates in a jail designed for 162.

- Parking for those who come to court and work there.

- A central location for parole and probation offices.

Russell says it would take nine months, by his estimate, to build out the two courtrooms if the county had the plans all drawn and a contractor selected. The county hasn’t done that yet, although commissioners wondered Monday if they could save money by simply making carbon copies of the first-floor courtrooms.

The county recently agreed to buy most of the 300 block of N. Main Street, coming away with several one-story buildings that might be used for offices like probation and parole.

But Russell wants the board to consider doing more than simply renovating the Hometown Furniture building for probation offices. Maybe the county should consider putting up a new office building on the property instead, to create a better long-term solution.

At the courthouse, Russell thinks the first step should be to get the probation and parole offices moved out, then see how to best use the space that’s left.

‘‘You don’t know how much room you have in your closet until you take all your clothes out,’’ Russell said.

In other action Monday:

- County commissioners gave final approval to the sale of the old Norman’s property to F&M Bank, following the expiration of the required 10-day waiting period for an upset bid.

- On a 4-1 vote, commissioners terminated their development agreement with Atlantic American Properties at the county-owned Summit Corporate Center on Julian Road. Voting against was Commissioner Dave Rowland, who didn’t like the part of the agreement that sold the developed part of the land to the company for $29,000 an acre.

- Commissioners approved an agreement to lease an extra 16 acres to the National Guard at the unit’s site at the county airport. The unit wants to add a fuel tank area and a larger parking area for helicopters.

- Commissioners recognized Robin Cook, in animal control, as the employee of the month.

- The board declared April as Child Abuse Prevention Month, and endorsed Elizabeth Smith’s proposal to have the nation designate April 30 as Children’s Day.

- The board approved watershed development applications for L.W. Miller, at 202 Performance Road, and for Eddie Arnold, at 1138 Gateway Drive.

- Commissioners approved the expansion of Moores Mobile Home Park from eight to 12 units.

- The board approved a bid of $26,934.50 from Wynn Communications for a new telephone system at the Agricultural Center.