Employees from several county offices may be able to return to the Pike County Judicial Complex in the coming weeks.

County Administrator McKenzie Wilson told the Pike County Commission that sheet rock, painting and some remaining work required by building codes was nearing completion at the Pike County Judicial Complex.

In late January, there were equipment failures in the complex’s HVAC system which led to widespread flooding in the building. Several O-rings in the system’s water circulation system broke during the winter storm which covered Pike County in 3-inches to 6-inches of snow. There were chemical additives to prevent mold growth in the cooling system. Board member Chad Copeland said during and after the initial clean-up, multiple employees reported a variety of symptoms that ranged from rashes and coughs to apparent chemical burns.

The damage and health concerns forced the relocation of some county judicial offices back to the Pike County Courthouse.

Wilson said she had met with most county elected officials on Monday and would meet with the remaining officials this week. She said the meetings were to inform them about the resolution of safety concerns and the progress on repairing the building.

She said by the end of this week, most everything should be fixed. She said additional cleaning would then be done to prepare the building for the return of employees. She said some carpet replacement might be needed if it can’t be cleaned. The carpet in question is in court rooms and jury rooms. She said the carpet was stained, but had not been cleaned yet. She said if the stains can’t be removed, the carpet would have to be replaced.

She said this had been discussed with county officials, who agreed that could be worked around.

In other business:

• The commission passed a resolution to keep a permanent 1-cent education sales tax on the books. Wilson said the Pike County School System requested the resolution so it could proceed with a bond issue.

• The commission also approved existing alcohol licensing and county levies to be extended with no changes for three more years.