NORWICH – As part of an effort to improve the Norwich Town Hall and Town Court, officials are moving forward with a grant application that could lead to expansion and modernization of the courtroom facility.

In a town board meeting earlier this month, board members approved applying for $30,000 in grant funding through the New York State Justice Court Assistance Program. Presently, the town is working together with county officials in completing the application process, aiming to finish it before the Oct. 1 deadline.

According to Supervisor David Law, funding would bring the town’s court system into a modern, more efficient way of operating. “We’re in the process of designing it now and gathering figures of what it would cost,” he said. “We hope that the courtroom could be extended, along with a couple of other smaller rooms.”

On average, the town court handles approximately 40 to 50 separate incidents per week, for both traffic and criminal violations, according to Law. Weekly incidents have increased in recent years, and more space and better resources could help court officials better manage, he added.