Monroe County is moving along on the Courthouse Expansion Project.

Last week Chairwoman Sharon Laverdure signed the nonconforming use application for the borough of Stroudsburg to enable the county to use Ramsey School as temporary office space during the project.

Commissioners revised an agreement with Strunk Albert Engineering in the amount of $43,800 (the previous amount was $28,800) to perform additional work on the project.

The first phase of construction began after a groundbreaking on June 17, 2021.

The plan is to move the courtrooms out of the historic building and to put offices spaces there.

The project will be developed in stages, Commissioner John Christy said. Phase 1A will construct a new three-story, 66,000-square-foot expansion that will include an entry lobby and the needed courtrooms and judges’ chambers. The plans are to redevelop the existing outdoor plaza, make it more accessible and create a usable public space while creating a new entry door for the courthouse.

Completing the interior renovations to the courthouse annex will occur, along with the interior restoration of the historic courthouse, including the 1893 and 1930s courtrooms, library and public staircase.

Safety measures include dedicated secure spaces that allow for detainee holding and loading and on loading.

Other business

• Laverdure announced Eagle Scout Steven Michiels will be awarded a certificate for his Eagle Scout project.

“Now that things are opening up we look forward to awarding more,” she said.

• Nine travel requests were approved: Veterans Affairs, Planning, Juvenile Probation, Adult Probation, Grants, Emergency Services, Conservation District, Assessment and Aging.

• Public Defender Eric Closs will attend the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Layers Annual Conference from April 27-29 in Harrisburg, and Laverdure will attend the Spring Conference for County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania from March 20-22 in Harrisburg.

• Monroe County Children & Youth Services executed the following purchase of service agreements for the period of July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022: People R Us Community Residential Services Inc. in the amount of $100,000; Forget Me Not Community Services in the amount of $150,000.

• The board approved the use of the Courthouse Square on June 5, 2022, by the Pocono Chamber of Commerce for the PRIDE Festival.

• Christy was reappointed to the Northeast Pennsylvania Alliance board of directors, with a term to expire on June 30, 2024.

• A Law Enforcement Membership Agreement with Freedom Firearms was approved for the period of Feb. 13, 2022, through Feb. 12, 2023, in the amount of $4,200 to allow the Sheriff’s Department to use the indoor firearms range at 85 N. First St., Stroudsburg.

• The commissioners ratified acceptance of a quote by Borton Lawson Engineering in the amount of $122,500 for bridge engineering services for the 2022 Annual County Bridge Maintenance and Repair Project, and executed the following Consulting Service Agreements with RKR Hess to perform required updates to the County Dams Emergency Action Plans: Leavitt Branch, $3,500; Goose Pond, $3,500.