Your Couny Courthou$e I$ Co$ting You Plenty

[Patriot]

I said elsewhere that Monday's county commission meeting was full of fun & frolic.  Here's some more.

Tough economy?  What tough economy...

Our courthouse had some roof leaks in spite of the new roof that cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars in recent years.  It seems we failed to fix some guttering issues at the time the new roof was installed.  In the last month, the commission approved a repair contract (on short notice at a special meeting) for some $67,000 for repairs with a $25,000 advance payment.  When work started & after stripping back the new roof, it was discovered that more work was needed to repair the bad eaves, gutters & downspouts.  On Monday, the commission allocated an additional $15,000 to finish the job, bringing the total cost to around $82,000.  As a side note, the giant bee populations were not removed & are still present in the 'attic'.

Sadly, there is still a need to fix the rotted & crumbling clock tower which also has apparently been struck by lightening in times past (but never repaired), crumbling masonry in the top corners of the building & leaky window replacements (at a guestimated replacement cost of around $500,000).

We've already got the new boiler... though a boiler expert (paid some $700 for a review) said we didn't need it & demonstrated that properly setting the pressure would heat the building very well.  And the new $60,000 - $80,000 (I could be off a bit) phone system... that still has problems... a year later.  We've got new light fixtures inside too!

All this, and we haven't even started on the interior issues - paint, electrical, plumbing, carpet, masonry, etc., that still need to be addressed in order to preserve the building.  Deferred maintenance is a real pain, isn't it?

All I can say is if the taxpayers wallet holds out long enough, we'll have one heck of a 'million dollar' historical monument.  Has anybody checked the foundation to see what shape it's in?   

Now, about scrapping the extension building and constructing that brand new county fire & ambulance barn/health department that some officials want to build in Howard.....

Aren't you glad we aren't repying a $5.5 million school bond at this point?

Not to worry Elk County taxpayers... it's only money.... Your Money.

[srkruzich]

Ouch.

Good luck on the bee populations.  Its too late to move them this year.  Its also illegal to kill them.  Best thing to do is to wait til spring and remove them.