Colleyville to merge courts with Keller

The next step would be hiring five full-time positions: a court administrator, a deputy court administrator, a senior court clerk and two administrative court clerks. Colleyville currently has three non-judicial positions, while Keller has four, Leake said. Employees from both cities will have the first chance to apply for the positions, Leake said.

"What we are hoping to do is to complete interviews with all interested current employees of the Colleyville and Keller municipal court staffs by June 29," she said. "If all positions are not filled by current staff members in both cities, then we would complete interviews of external candidates by August the 10th."

Colleyville staffers plan to make presentations to the City Council on a contract to acquire new court software on May 15, and an ordinance to adopt a juvenile case manager fee is expected to go before council June 5 and 19.

By combining operations, Colleyville estimates a savings of $52,819 annually, while Keller estimates a savings of $146,875 annually.

The cities plan to share the $419,805 cost of combining court operations, and in addition to an administrative fee, Keller will pay an annual building maintenance fee of $5,000 to Colleyville.

The contract to combine municipal court services will last until 2018 and includes an option for renewal.