County building finds leaks
Published 10:44 pm Monday, July 13, 2009
A problem Pike County Commissioners have seen coming for months has finally sprung a leak.
The county’s historical Rock Building, now a home to storage, has begun to leak and damaged some of the voting machines, commissioners said in their meeting Monday night.
Commissioners voted to replace those items, and find a new home for their storage. But, it is a new home that will cost $4,800 a year in rent.
At the recommendation of County Administrator Harry Sanders and Probate Judge Wes Allen, the commission approved to rent space in a building adjacent to the Pike County Courthouse. The building is owned by local attorney Thomas Haigh.
District 5 Commissioner Charlie Harris posed initial questioning to the request.
“Where are the funds coming from?” Harris said.
But, with no other options, the commission approved to begin housing voting machines in the new building once they arrive.
The Rock Building, which once housed the county’s Board of Education and Extension Office, has been a topic of discussion for years.
In light of recent events, it’s one District 4 Commissioner Ray Goodson said needs to continue.
“We need to sell it or fix it or do something with it,” Goodson said. “It’s fixing to fall down is what it is. We need to get together on it somehow.”
The commission took no action on the Rock Building, but it remains an item on the table.
Other items that remain on the table are a request from the commission office to reopen the vacant accountant position and a contract with courthouse security company that is nearing its end.
Sanders initially asked the commission to forward discussion on the accountant opening, which was voted closed earlier this year, but Harris said he wanted to discuss it then.
“We need to discuss that now. I have some valuable information about it,” Harris said.
Commissioners also will have to decide before September whether to renew the contract with the company that employees the courthouse security guards.
“My feeling is we’ll probably redo the contract unless you instruct me otherwise,” Sanders said.
But, District 1 Commissioner Homer Wright said some things needed to be discussed.
“We have some situations down there with security, and we need to make sure we look at that,” Wright said.
That’s when the commission went into a closed meeting to discuss those items, and after returning did not take any further action.
The items will remain on the county’s agenda.