Town justices press for new town hall

By TOM KANE

HORTONVILLE, NY — The Town of Delaware’s two justices want more space for justice.

“It’s so bad that we have to cram 35 possible jurors in this tiny room with three or four lawyers and family members of someone being tried for a criminal case, all standing around the room and down the stairs,” said Justice William Schultz.

“When we need a private conversation with a lawyer and his client outside the proceedings, we have to go into that room back there that’s really a closet,” said the other town justice, H. John Kramer.

The town hall, which is owned by the Hortonville Fire District, is inadequate even for town uses, said town supervisor Bill Moran.

The first floor of the building is used for town offices and the second floor is used for town meetings and the justice court.

“It’s not handicapped accessible,” Moran said. He was afraid the town would be taken to task by the federal government.

“Maybe you should start to put money aside so that you can build a new town hall some time in the future,” Schultz said.

Moran said the town board has had several conversations with the Hortonville Fire Company, which owns its own building and is planning to build a new firehouse.

“If they build one, the town might have a 3,000-square-foot wing on the building and have it leased to us,” he said.

“We’re looking at several possibilities,” said the Hortonville Fire Company treasurer Bill Buckmaster.

“To build what we want, we’ll need to use the property the town hall is on now. It may not be possible since there are legal issues involved. At this point, it’s not firm at all what we’re going to do.”

Moran set up a committee of board members to pursue the matter with the fire company.