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J A V 3 '119, H'` p� �I BOOK 85 rtAwc • 136 on the functional ability of the building. Some people think it would be nice to have the front of the courthouse facing 20th street for people to see as they drive by, but it needs to face west so that it can be readily accessed from the parking garage. Commissioner Wheeler wished to take a minute to make a couple of statements about the progression of the courthouse. The County Commission and the Courthouse Planning Committee, of which he chairs, have been working on this project for 5 years and we all went out and worked hard to educate the voting populace that a new courthouse would be funded by a 1 -cent optional sales tax and not with ad valorem taxes. The voters passed the referendum, and we came in under budget on the amounts to purchase the property needed. He wished to commend the county staff, particularly County Administrator Jim Chandler, General Services Director Sonny Dean and OMB Director Joe Baird for doing an outstanding job and, for the most part, making this a pleasant endeavor. He also wished to thank the Public Defenders' Office, the State Attorney's Office, the Bar Association, the Sheriff's Office, and Clerk of the Court Jeff Barton, who was very active through the whole process. Special thanks and commendation go to Judge Vocelle and Judge Wild for their cooperation and participation in this from the very beginning. Obviously, our efforts have resulted in avoiding some of the pitfalls other counties have encountered in planning their new courthouses. Indian River County will have a courthouse that is very functional, efficient and economical, and one which is directly attributable to the people who have served on the committee over these past years. Commissioner Wheeler felt the architects have done a wonderful job, and greatly appreciated Mike Thomas's input. He, personally, is very pleased with the whole operation and just wanted to publicly thank everyone for their efforts and interest. Commissioner Bird returned to the matter of acquiring the out parcel that Commissioner Scurlock was talking about. He agreed that we should acquire that parcel so that we can have control over that parcel that could either be an enhancement or a distraction to the rest of the area. Commissioner Bowman noted that the trees are an integral part of this design and hoped that enough space has been left so that there is no paving out to the drip line of the tree. Otherwise, the trees will not survive. She questioned the advisability of using all oaks and palm trees, because with only a single species of trees you could lose it all if they were hit by a disease. She suggested a little diversity. 22