The Marshall County Council is hoping to ensure smooth operations of its court system by updating the elevators inside the courthouse.
The building has a north and a south elevator that is used by court personnel on the third floor and to transport prisoners for hearings. The age of the elevators inside the courthouse is expected to cause difficulty locating parts if there’s a failure, prompting a recommendation for the elevator contractor to replace both.
Maintenance Supervisor Doug Masterson says this is similar to the other elevator projects the county has completed.
“Just like we did for the county building and the museum, we need to update them,” says Masterson. “It’s not going to be cheap. They’re saying $80-thousand for the one, and $85-thousand for the other. I believe there’s a price difference because the building on the south side is a little bit older and they probably have a little bit more to do with it.”
The contract agreement to make the repairs is expected to be reviewed by County Attorney Jim Clevenger.
Besides operating the court system in Marshall County effectively, an ADA compliance issue may be present should the elevators go down for an extended period. Officer safety in relation to the inmates was also cited.
Masterson says they will be worked on one at a time, according to the discussion to limit interruptions in the Marshall County Courts.
“Yeah, they said what they would do is try to work with us as far as the scheduling (goes) and figure out which elevator to do, the north or south, first,
” says Masterson. “Then do the other one as soon as they’re done with the very first one.”
It’s expected to take five days per elevator.
The Marshall County Council approved using $165-thousand out of the Rainy Day fund to complete the work. The maintenance department has been tasked with requesting the contracting company break up the costs so half is paid up front, the other half is paid once the work has been completed.
