The increased

activity in the Coweta County court system and the lack of office space

is forcing the Coweta County Commission to get creative.

Commission

Chairman Vernon "Mutt" Hunter suggested the county should start

looking at renting some vacant office space.

Hunter suggested

using some of the vacant stores surrounding the Courthouse and asked staff

to start working on the project immediately.

The commission

also learned that the space the county is renting from the city of Newnan

for court functions also needs repairs.

Assistant County

Administrator Eddie Whitlock said the old Carnegie Library is going to

need nearly $9,000 in repairs to the foundation and for a chair seat to

make the first floor compliant with ADA requirements.

Hunter said

he doesn't have a problem with making those repairs, but added there is

no way the county can pay an estimated $250,000 for an elevator in the

facility.

The county

is currently working on a plan to build a new court facility, but if approved

it would not be ready until 2003.

In the meantime,

the county has to find space for court functions. The commission has already

approved letting some courts use the commission meeting room for a courtroom

when the county is not using it.

"We need

to do something quickly," Hunter said.