SLAYTON — One short meeting of the Murray County Board on Tuesday equals a big change at the county government center.

Within a half hour, the board launched a courtroom remodeling project by calling for bids. Bids will be open at 11:30 a.m. Nov. 29 in a special board meeting. Construction work is expected to start by February of 2019.

The floor plan reconfiguration was prompted by security needs for anyone who participates in courtroom hearings.

“We thought we needed to try to improve on what we’ve had,” said Murray County Coordinator Aurora Heard. “The distance between court administration, the law library, and the courtroom was too far.”

Instead of the current long hallway, these areas of court activity will only need to walk across the hall.

To accomplish that goal, they will move into offices and a reception area shared by the county Extension Service and county administration.

A first step toward these changes was taken in March with the purchase of metal detectors. Murray County put $1,800 toward the cost. The other half was funded through a matching grant provided by the State of Minnesota Courthouse Safety and Security department.

After county officials open bids, a project consultant from Arch CBS Squared will review bidding specifics to determine whether or not each bid meets specs.

The lowest responsible bidder who meets guidelines stated in the request for bids and has the resources needed for successful completion will be awarded the project.

“It should be an improvement for all of the departments involved,” Heard said.

“It’s an investment. The new floor plan is designed to serve the county for a long time.”