Mayor Greg Costello, Board of Aldermen President Fred Flake and Brad Busekrus advised the commissioners last Thursday the city would be willing to work with the county to ease parking issues related to erecting a new building behind the existing Warren County Courthouse. Warrenton is currently building a new City Hall facility on West Street. City officials said their planned addition of more than 100 parking spaces to serve the public could help the county cope with an expected parking headache if the county's facility eventually is located downtown. "We've talked in broad terms with the commissioners about this issue before," said Costello. "We just wanted to advise them on what we might be able to offer in terms of additional parking availability." "The city is very willing to work with us, as we are with them," said Presiding Commissioner Arden Engelage. "This was a good meeting and gives us some additional information to consider as we move forward in our decision process." City officials said they will have 132 "on-campus" parking spaces available once their project on city hall is finished. Two existing buildings will be razed along Main Street, the city's finance building and the public works facility. Officials said the 132 total includes 26 spaces in a new lot on the corner of Main and Morgan streets, another 26-space lot immediately to the east, 17 spaces in a lot at the corner of Main and West streets, another 35 spaces in a lot behind city hall and nine additional spaces in the southeast corner of Walton and West streets. "My hope is to keep the administration building within the city limits of Warrenton," Costello explained. "I do have my own personal opinion as to where I'd like to see it built, naturally, but I lack the authority, or even the right, to tell the commissioners where to put it. "I'm sure," Costello added, "they'll make the best decision they can based on all the information available to them." The commissioners said they would study the city's parking plan and use it as another tool in their final decision. "We don't want to do anything to hurt downtown Warrenton," said Engelage. Regardless of whether the administration building ends up downtown or along south Highway 47, the commissioners said the additional parking which will be opened up by the new city hall facility would interest them even if it only ends up impacting visitors to the county courthouse. "We'll need additional parking anyway for this complex when the county judicial system expands in the future," said Engelage. "It's a huge problem even now." The courthouse is expected to eventually hold as many as four courtrooms plus offices for additional staff. The county prosecutor's office is also expected to expand. Currently, Prosecuting Attorney Mike Wright has two assistants but that number could easily double in the coming years. Warren County Sheriff Kevin Harrison could also see additional space needs develop within his office. The courts, prosecutor's office and sheriff's office will all remain in the courthouse. "An additional number of parking spaces (from the city) to serve the public is beneficial for the courthouse," said Southern District Commissioner Hubie Kluesner.