Magisterial District Judge Kevin O’Donnell’s office is being relocated from its antiquated space on Sunnyview Circle to an office being renovated on Fairground Hill Road.

The county commissioners on Wednesday approved a 10-year lease to relocate Butler Township Magisterial District Court, 50-1-01, which O’Donnell presides over, to 530-532 Fairground Hill Road, and awarded a renovation contract to prepare the new office space.

Commissioners approved the lease with Valley View Estates to rent the eastern portion of the building from Sept. 1 this year to Aug. 31, 2032 with an option to buy the property in the eighth year of the contract.

According to the contract, rent during the first three years of the contract is $3,433 per month, or $41,196 a year; rent for years four through six is $3,583 per month, or $42,996 a year; rent for years seven through nine is $3,733 per month, or $44,796 a year; and rent for year 10 is $4,033 per month, or $48,396 for the year.

The district court office is the last tenant in the antiquated building at 121 Sunnyview Circle, which the county owns, Leslie Osche, chairwoman of the commissions, said at Wednesday’s meeting.

She said it is too expensive to maintain the old building. Once the building is vacated, the county can explore options for its future, she added.

The building was on the market for sale in the past, she said.

To get the new building ready for use as a district court, the commissioners approved a $74,235.59 contract with Clark Contractors Inc. of Bedford.

The contract includes demolition of existing interior partitions; redesigning and rebuilding office space; and electrical, plumbing, and heating and air conditioning work.

In other business, the commissioners approved a four-year contract with the union representing the county’s 36 probation officers.

The new contract runs from Jan. 1, 2023, to Dec. 31, 2026, and provides wage increases each year. The contract includes pay raises of 2.75% next year, 3% in 2024, 2.75% in 2025 and 3% in 2026.

The incumbent employee’s current contributions to his health insurance will not change in 2023, but will increase beginning in 2024. Those employees currently contribute 7% or 10%, depending on the plan. Those contributions will increase to 10% and 15%, respectively. People hired after Dec. 31 this year, will contribute 10% and %15.

In a new provision in the contract, the county agreed to pay a $500 stipend to up to 11 officers who receive training and then provide that training to the rest of the staff.

The union approved the contract before the commissioners’ meeting, county officials said.