Greene County Presiding Commissioner Bob Dixon praised county employees and services in the region Thursday during a Good Morning Springfield! event hosted by the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce. In the State of the County address, Dixon pointed to the court system, which he said stepped up with funding when the justice center renovation and expansion costs rose due to inflation. He said that project is nearing completion. Staff in the juvenile division began moving into the old jail this week. He showed pictures on a screen of the newly renovated space.
"Here we see the lobby, the new secure lobby, and next what used to be the old lobby of the jail, repurposed as a beautiful seating area surrounded by a secure stairwell for staff, along with trauma sensitive rooms for families and children," he said. "And finally, you can see what used to be an old jail pod, complete with the very same skylight, by the way, repurposed as a spacious, trauma informed juvenile courtroom drawn from the latest nationally recognized best practices where staff and support organizations and partners will literally and symbolically surround those being served."
He invited the public to a dedication and open house for the project on November 9.
Dixon pointed out changes made by Circuit Clerk Bryan Feemster and his team to modernize court operations, which he said will improve efficiency and accessibility for the public.
He also praised the assessor’s office, which he said has worked to modernize operations and improve customer service.
And he reminded the public that the county partnered with Burrell Behavioral Health and Centerstone on the Youth Resiliency campus in north Springfield. It’s a facility that serves teenagers with mental health and crisis intervention services.
"Yesterday, they served their 100th client, helping those in need find wellness there or with other referral partners," he said. "After presenting with thoughts such as suicide or self-harm, misuse of medication or other mental health concerns."
The county provided $5.325 million in ARPA funds for the project.
Dixon also touted the Springfield-Greene County Library Center’s new Republic Branch and its Business Connect Center, which received $500,000 in ARPA funds, as well as the Springfield-Greene County Health Department’s Family Connects program, which offers home visits for new parents.
He talked about the Good Samaritan Boys Ranch, which received $350,000 in ARPA funds through the county for warehouse and office space, "where youth aging out of foster care can access furniture and household good."
He praised the leadership of Springfield-Greene County Parks for dedicating resources for deferred maintenance. And he reminded the audience that Randy Bacon’s exhibit, The Life I Choose, is on exhibit now at the Springfield-Branson National Airport.
