FACILITIES, SECURITY, AND EMERGENCY PLANNING

Clerk's Office Reconfigures And Renovates Los Angeles Division

During 2012, the Clerk’s Office extensively reconfigured and renovated the Los Angeles Division to make more effective use of available space. By considering each department’s mission and needs, the Clerk’s Office has come up with solutions that both increase the volume of available space in the division and facilitate each department’s unique tasks. The new modular furniture and “frame and tile” workstations installed in the improved spaces are easily rearranged and repurposed, preparing the division for future space planning adjustments.

In April, the Administrative Services Department (ASD) relocated from the Roybal Federal Building and Courthouse to a reconfigured space in the nearby Federal Building at 300 N. Los Angeles Street, and in May, the Communications Department moved into ASD’s former office. Later that month, the Systems Development and Network Management Departments exchanged offices on the 10th floor of the Roybal Building. The move placed Network Management closer to the server room to facilitate maintenance of the servers, and gave Systems Development a shared space that encourages collaboration. Network Management’s new office included workstations with sliding doors, a laboratory, and a shared area for collaborative projects.

The Clerk’s Office also began remodeling the Roybal Building’s server room in April, installing new lights, ceiling tiles, and floor tiles, as well as new server racks and uninterruptible power supplies. In August, a new heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system replaced the room’s old freestanding air conditioning unit. The HVAC cools the room for optimal server performance.

San Fernando Valley Construction Project Completed

The construction project associated with the lease renewal at the San Fernando Valley Division was completed on February 3, 2012, ahead of schedule. Since the Court pays monthly rent, the space released by the project results in recurring savings for the Judiciary.

During the first phase, completed in December, workers removed the records area and built two offices, a storage area, a lunchroom, and a computer training room. The project’s second phase added new workstations, a smaller records room, and shelving for the IT department, and modified the division’s intake area. To accommodate these additions, the San Fernando Valley Division reduced more than two-thirds of its file storage space by conducting an extensive overhaul of onsite document management practices. The reconfiguration completes a project to consolidate Operations staff onto one floor, thereby substantially reducing the volume of leased space and improving work flow.

New Keycard Readers Installed

A new keycard system was installed at the Santa Ana Division as part of a district-wide upgrade of each division’s security. The new system, which had already been installed at the Northern, San Fernando Valley, and Riverside Divisions, is compatible with photo IDs that double as keycards, or “smart cards.” The cards will help Court Security Officers confirm employees’ identities and will conform to a national standard, improving court security and facilitating convenient travel throughout the nation. The Los Angeles Division will be the next to receive the new system.