12/13/11 The Marshall County Building is starting to show its age and Monday morning the County Council got a real idea of what’s happening to the building and its infrastructure.
A few months ago Commissioner Jack Roose and Director of the County’s Buildings and Grounds, Rich Ulrich appeared with a request to replace all of the windows and the exterior glass entrance doors on the County Building. After presenting a quote from Plymouth Glass for $157,400 for new windows and $10,000 for ADA automatic doors on the north and south ends, plus a $3,000 contingency the Council asked for a second quote. On Monday Roose presented a bid from Michiana Contracting for $169,825 for the windows alone.
Council members discussed the project and unanimously approved an additional appropriation from the General Fund in the amount of $170,000.
Roose and Ulrich also discussed the elevator issue at the County Building. In the last 10 weeks the elevators has been out of service 28 different times. He also noted that 6 individuals have been trapped in the elevators. Council members were reminded that the building is 30 years old and although there has been a maintenance agreement, Ulrich said, “We have lost faith in them. I have documented their lack of services and performance.”
The current company who is suppose to provide maintenance presented a proposal to totally replace the two elevators for a cost of $250,000. Ulrich contacted the company, Otis that handles the elevators at the Court House and Museum, they saw our plight and have been helping repair the elevators in the County Building.
Otis has proposed renovations to the two elevators including updated technology for a cost of $144,000. They have also offered an attractive maintenance agreement that will include all five elevators the county has for about the same dollar figure the county is currently spending on the two in the County Building.
It’s anticipated that the County Council will consider an additional appropriation for the elevators early next year. It was so noted that the additional should come from the General Fund.
