Opinion ID: 1642699
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: First supplemental lease agreement

Text: In conjunction with the issuance of the Series 2002 Warrants, the Building Authority also entered into a first supplemental lease agreement with Conecuh County; the first supplemental lease agreement amended the original lease agreement executed in conjunction with the issuance of the Series 2000 Warrants. Under the first supplemental lease agreement, Conecuh County agreed to convey the existing courthouse to the Building Authority. Section 4.1 of the first supplemental lease agreement specifically provided that the Building Authority and Conecuh County would undertake and complete, or will cause to be undertaken and completed[,] the demolition of the Existing Courthouse Building, the construction of the New Courthouse Building and the acquisition and installation, on or about the Courthouse Site or elsewhere in the County, of the New Courthouse Equipment, such demolition, construction, acquisition and installation to be made in accordance with written orders, and directions from the County. (Emphasis added.) Subsequent to the issuance of the Series 2002 Warrants, the Conecuh County Commission initiated plans for the demolition of the existing county courthouse and the construction of a new county courthouse on the site of the existing courthouse. In December 2002, the Conecuh County Commission solicited bids for the demolition of the existing courthouse and the construction of a new courthouse; those bids were to be submitted by January 9, 2003. The Conecuh County Commission postponed awarding a contract for the demolition and construction after this action was filed. The appellants filed this action seeking a declaratory ruling (1) that the proceeds from the court fee and the lodging tax were dedicated by law for use in renovating the existing county courthouse and the maintenance of the courthouse after it was renovated, and that those proceeds could not be used to demolish the existing county courthouse and construct a new courthouse on the same site, and (2) that the proceeds of the Series 2002 Warrants could not be used to demolish the existing courthouse and to construct a new courthouse. In addition, the appellants sought injunctive relief (1) prohibiting the Conecuh County Commission from using the proceeds from the court fee and the lodging tax for any purpose other than to finance the construction of the new jail and the renovation of the existing county courthouse; (2) forcing the County Commission to renovate the existing county courthouse, and (3) prohibiting the County Commission from using the proceeds from the sale of the Series 2002 Warrants for any purpose other than to finance the construction of the new jail and the renovation of the existing county courthouse. The trial court issued an order, on the joint stipulation of the parties, temporarily restraining the awarding of any contract for the demolition of the existing county courthouse that was to be funded by the court fee, the lodging tax, or the Series 2002 Warrants, and from spending any proceeds generated from those sources for such demolition. The trial court set a hearing on a preliminary injunction for January 14, 2003. This hearing, however, was restricted to the appellants' requests for injunctive relief. Following that hearing, the trial court entered an order granting some of the appellants' requests for injunctive relief and denying others. Specifically, the order enjoined the County Commission: 1. From using any public funds generated by the Amendment [Amendment No. 634] or the Act [Act No. 98-657] for any purpose other than to pay for the costs of constructing, equipping, financing, refinancing, and operation of the new Conecuh County Jail and to pay the costs of planning, designing, renovating, repairing, financing, rehabilitating, and operating the existing Conecuh County Courthouse. 2. From awarding any contract for the demolition of the existing Conecuh County Courthouse, the payment for which is, partially or totally, from funds generated by the Amendment or the Act; 3. From using any public funds generated by the Amendment or the Act for the purpose of paying, in whole or in part, for the demolition of the existing Conecuh County Courthouse; and, 4. From using any public funds generated by the Amendment or the Act for the purpose of constructing a new Conecuh County Courthouse. However, the trial court denied the appellants' other requests for injunctive relief. The trial court subsequently made this order final pursuant to Rule 54(b), Ala. R. Civ. P. The appellants appeal the trial court's denial of their request for injunctive relief prohibiting the County Commission from using the proceeds from the sale of the Series 2002 Warrants for any purpose other than to finance the construction of the new jail and the renovation of the existing county courthouse and forcing the County Commission to renovate the existing county courthouse; the County Commission cross-appeals, raising various issues discussed below. [4]