FARMINGTON — Franklin County commissioners on Tuesday voted to delay a decision on where the District Attorney’s Office will relocate if its current one-year lease at 124 Main St. is not renewed.

Commissioners say they need more information before making a decision. The lease will expire March 31.

James Andrews, assistant district attorney for Franklin County, discusses office space Tuesday during a Franklin County commissioners meeting in Farmington. Donna M. Perry/Sun Journal

The DA’s office is expected to move back into the county Courthouse at 140 Main St. after some county offices move to the new emergency operations center on County Way once it is completed. Franklin County Administrator Amy Bernard said the new center is 60% complete.

The Emergency Management Agency, county administration, and technology services are expected to move to the new building. About half of the building is for the Sheriff’s Office.

The DA’s office was to move into the new building too, but prosecutors said they needed to be closer to the court, which currently is across from their existing office on Main Street. The office staff moved to the leased building in 2011 because of quality in the ground level of the courthouse, among other reasons.

The county had asked property owner Craig Jordan of Farmington for a month-to-month lease on Nov. 20, 2024, due to only needing space until the springtime.

Jordan’s attorney, Paul Mills, sent a letter in response to the request that was dated Friday, Jan. 17, telling Commission Chairman Bob Carlton that Jordan will not entertain a month-to-month agreement after March 31. However, he would entertain a one-year lease extension on terms that could be negotiated.

The county would need to do renovations on the existing administrative offices before the DA’s staff could move back into the courthouse, Assistant DA James Andrews said.

The DA’s staff does do some work remotely, Bernard said, and she is hoping that could be an option when renovations are being done.

There would need to be room for more than five people to work and have space for Office of the Maine Attorney General and state police personnel that work from the DA’s Office. Plus, there is a need for technologic security including firewalls, Andrews and DA Neil McLean Jr. said.

Commission Vice Chairman Thomas Skolfield of Weld said maybe a local motel would rent out two or three rooms for three months.

Another year lease would not be good for the taxpayers of Franklin County, Carlton said.

Bernard said she gave contractors a target date of March 15 for the operations center to be completed so staff could move in between March 15 and April 15.

Andrews said they are “perfectly happy” with their current location now. They have a good relationship with Jordan.

“He has been very cooperative,” Andrews said.

McLean, who appeared on Zoom to the meeting, said he has significant concerns for the potential health and safety of his staff. They have their own security technology experts that would come in and set the office up and set the firewalls up to protect data and cases. They also need 24 hours entry into the courthouse because of the hours they work that they need to get in and get out.

Commissioner Tom Saviello said if you look at the time frame, for renovations to take place and the move, it would probably be about nine months.

Bernard and staff will look at more options for temporary office space.

In other business, commissioners voted to increase the civil process fees from $12 to $25 as allowed per state statute.